The Web of Fate
by sailorgloom
Summary: A teenage shape shifter named Bella moves to Forks, WA. It is there that she stumbles upon a family with a secret of their own, and multiple connections to her past. This is a Twilight AU involving a kick-butt Bella that doesn't fall for manipulative Darkward, with a sprinkling of witches, and a dash of fate. Rated T for language and violence, subject to change as the story grows.
1. Chapter 1

Bella stood in the doorway of her childhood bedroom and accessed the changes Charlie had made to make it more accommodating for the 17 year old. It felt warm and welcoming after the year she had spent living with family friends in Phoenix following her mother's car accident. Charlie had painted the walls a soft heather gray, to match the overcast evening sky, if Bella had to guess. In addition to the fresh paint, he had provided her with a computer desk nestled between two windows on the far wall, complete with a wheezy old computer and monitor. A full sized bed sat centered along the door wall, decked on one side with a bookshelf, a bedside table topped with a lamp on the other. Next to the closet stood a dusty lilac colored dresser that the two of them had worked on sprucing up a few summers previously.

"What do you think, Bells," Charlie asked from behind her, having carried a box of books and odds and ends up the stairs.

"It looks great, Ch-dad," Bella offered as she entered the room, setting her own box filled with clothes onto the dresser. "I like the color of the walls," she added, wanting to express her gratitude.

"I'm glad. Sue Clearwater, Harry's wife, helped me pick it out," Charlie set his own box onto Bella's bed before continuing, "she thought that the little bit of pink and purple in the gray would be better than the off white the room was before. I think she called it egg something."

Bella grinned at her color confused father, "I think you mean eggshell."

"That's the one! She said it was boring and that teen girls tend to like colors. I considered going brighter but it would be a pain in the-" he cut off, as though his daughter had never heard him swear, "Well, covering it would have been tough if down the road we wanted to change it or sell the house."

Bella raised an eyebrow at her born and raised in Forks, father, and asked, "You thinking about selling?"

"What, I-no, I just don't want to do anything too permanent to the house just in case. You never know."

Bella smiled at his logic and began her least favorite part about moving, unpacking.

"Well, that was your last box. If you want, we can get you a new comforter from Port Angeles sometime next month. Try to get things feeling normal," he offered with a frown.

 _Normal might be a bit of a stretch,_ Bella thought grimly. Normal hadn't been part of the equation since she was seven and her mother, Renee, marriage crumbling apart, had packed the two of them up and moved them both to Phoenix. Life had been filled with ups and downs, moving around and constantly feeling split down the middle between her parents until the cherry on top of the not-normal sundae fell on her 15th birthday – it was the day she had learned from her mother that Bella had been born into a line of shape shifters.

Able to take on any animal form at will within a five day span around the full moon, Bella had enjoyed exploring the desert of Arizona in various forms with her mother, during what they had jokingly referred to as their "time of the month." With years of practice, her mother's ability spanned many more days, at least 20. Since her first shift, Bella herself had just in the last month, been able to achieve seven days. Unfortunately, this wasn't something she could proclaim proudly to her dad.

 _No_ , Bella thought, _normal most definitely doesn't apply to this situation._

"Don't worry, dad, I'm fine with the blankets we have. You've done so much already and it means a lot to me, that you'd want to make me comfortable here," Bella replied, nervously tugging on the ends of her long hair. Neither were very good at expressing their emotions, especially to each other, but it went unsaid that Charlie was happy to have her home. "Unless you can magically stop the rain and clear the clouds, you've done everything humanly possible," Bella added with a laugh to lighten the mood.

"That I can not do, unfortunately," Charlie laughed back. "Well, I'll leave you to get everything settled and order in some pizza later, if that's okay with you?"

"Sounds good," Bella answered as Charlie headed back down the stairs. She turned back to pulling clothes from the multitude of boxes and unloading shirts, sweaters, jeans, socks and underwear to their appropriate drawers. When she had completed her task, Bella sat down on her bed, fiddling with the cream colored, lace embroidered blanket that surely had been a purchase of her mother's doing.

Bella let out a soft sigh as her thoughts turned back down that painful road. After Renee had passed, all she had wanted was to graduate with her friends and stay in the place that reminded her so much of her mom. Bella had stayed with her "aunt and uncle," close family friends, and, for almost a year, she had chosen to make her monthly change locked up in her bedroom, hoping to keep her secret safe.

Unbeknownst to the girl, the lack of a proper shift caused her energy to build up, leading to seemingly random outbursts of aggression in school, escalating to physical fights, forcing her to change school district when, time and time again, she was expelled permanently.

Forks High School had been reluctant to even accept a student with a transcript like Bella's and had only been persuaded when her father, Charlie, the Chief of Police, had explained she had been having a hard time since her mother's death. The administration could understand that Renee's accident had left Bella struggling emotionally and had relented, allowing Bella a three strike policy to finish out her junior year. If she adhered to this one stipulation, she'd be welcome to attend her senior year at the high school as well.

If Bella was being honest with herself, she was really grateful to Charlie for going to bat for her like that, even if it meant she was on a very short leash. After understanding the issue stemmed from not utilizing her gift fully, she had started taking better care of herself which included shifting fully and burning off her excess energy.

Snapped out of her daze by the pattering of rain against the window, Bella opened the box Charlie had set on her bed and grabbing a handful of books, got to work organizing her things on the bookshelf. Bella soon completed her task and carried the box, which now held only CDs, a pencil holder, pens and some pushpins over to the desk and sorted her music by favorite to least favorite.

With nothing left to unpack, the girl sat back on the edge of her bed and accessed the torrential downpour of rain through her window. She would definitely have to shift into an animal that didn't mind a little rain and would offer her warmth against the cold that January brought to the Pacific Northwest.

 _Maybe I can try going for a bear if I get cold,_ she thought, a grin tugging at her lips.

A glance at the calendar on the wall above her desk confirmed what she already knew: she wouldn't be able to shift until Friday evening which meant she'd have to get through a week filled with restless irritability on top of being the new girl in school. _Fantastic_. Tomorrow would definitely be interesting.

/*\ /*\ /*\ /*\ /*\

Bella woke in a panic as she realized her alarm hadn't gone off and was treated to a bitterly cold morning, meaning that thanks to the rain, the roads had essentially turned into one long ice slick. She showered quickly and blow dried her hair, dressed in dark jeans, long sleeved shirt and dark blue sweater before racing down the stairs to wolf down a breakfast that comprised of a fruit and nut granola bar and a glass of milk. She dashed to the bathroom to brush her teeth then headed for the door. Opting for a pair of lace up boots, Bella shoved her feet inside, yanked on her coat and grabbed her backpack before locking up and venturing out towards her truck.

Bella pulled into the school parking lot with no more than 10 minutes to spare to locate her first class. At least, after starting three different high schools in less than a year, she was a bit of a professional at navigating first days as the new girl and knew enough to find the front office to get her schedule, locker number and combination, and on two occasions previously, a map.

Hitching her plain black backpack over her shoulder, Bella, following her intuition, set off for what had to be the main building. Made entirely of brick with bright red doors and flanked by 4 or more portable unit classrooms, Forks High didn't appear to have been updated in a few decades, if ever. She pulled on one of the doors and located the front office almost immediately off to her right.

Sighing with relief, Bella stepped up to the counter and waited for the receptionist to finish taking notes for the call she was on to notice her. A minute ticked by and in that time, Bella heard the main doors open and a presence take place in line behind her. Fighting the urge to turn around and see who had entered the building, Bella merely waited her turn and fiddled with the fraying hem of her left sleeve.

The receptionist finally set the phone she'd been holding onto her desk with a small thud before turning and catching sight of Bella and the unknown person behind her.

"Oh, hello, dear! My name is Marla. You must be Isabella Swan," Marla bubbled with more enthusiasm than Bella had thought necessary.

"Yes, but call me Bella, please," the girl requested with a small smile of her own. "Do you happen to have any class and locker information for me?"

"I sure do! Let me just find it real quick and you can be on your way." Marla frowned at her desk and turned in her chair to look at the desk adjacent to hers and spotting a file, hopped up to grab it. She flipped it open and right on top was a sheet containing a class time table stapled to a scrap of paper with her locker number and code. "Here you are, dear!" Marla passed the papers through the window to Bella before adding, "Unfortunately, I don't think you'll have time to check your locker right now but why don't you check over lunch and if there are any problems just let someone up here in the office know and we'll sort you right out."

"Thank you, so much," Bella answered politely. "One more question, though. Could you tell me where this first class is?" Bella asked Marla with an apologetic look. "I didn't realize with the ice I'd have to take my time getting here and definitely don't plan on cutting it so close again," she explained with a guilty frown.

"Of course! So you're going to want to head down this hallway," Marla pointed to Bella's left, "and take a right at the next hallway and it will be two doors down."

"Thanks again!" Bella exclaimed with a relieved smile and turned quickly, eager to make a good or at least decent impression by making it before the final bell. In her haste, Bella jostled into the person that had been in line behind her. Luckily, the body she'd backed into was planted quite firmly and didn't even stumble as she righted herself.

"I'm so sorry!" Bella started to launch into an apology when she made eye contact with the body she had bumped into.

The mystery presence was a tall, slender but muscled young man with soft, wheat colored hair and topaz tinted eyes, set in a face of creamy porcelain. His soft pink lips were pressed firmly in a line of mild annoyance. Bella felt her jaw drop as she took one step, then another, away from the gorgeous stranger, mouthed the word, "Sorry," one more time and turned quickly around to dart off for her class.

She made it through the door just before the final bell, still mildly dazzled by the mystery man."Ah, you must be Isabella Swan," a dark haired man with a mustache seated at the front of the room remarked. "I'm Mr. Murdoch. Why don't you take the remaining seat at the lab table next to Jessica."

"Please, just call me Bella," she answered for the second time that day, and headed for the lab table at the back of the room before setting her bag on the floor as the other students had.

"Very well, Bella. Alright, everyone, since it's Bella's first day I'm just going to recap what we're working on so we can get to it. The news will start in a few minutes. Normally, we watch and encourage open discussion for the next 20 minutes, however, since we have certain school spirit projects in the works, we are using that time to decorate posters to hang around the school to encourage the football players to beat the Sequim Wolves to a pulp." Mr. Murdoch droned on in a bored tone, clearly not feeling the school spirit himself.

"We have poster board, markers, glitter, glue, scissors and even some feathers. We brainstormed as a class yesterday and for the rest of the week, you all can finish it up," Mr. Murdoch finished as the severely outdated neon intro for student led news flashed across the television mounted to the wall. The class remained mostly silent as the reporters, Lauren and Tyler, made announcements about the upcoming game, lunch menu options, and even a few current national events.

Bored with the monotonous ramblings, Bella's table partner turned to face her and whispered enthusiastically, "Hi! My name is Jessica, as you obviously heard. How are you liking Forks?"

"It doesn't seem all too bad but I'm not used to all the trees, to be honest," Bella whispered back with distaste. "Everything feels so closed off and it's a lot more cold than I'm used to but I'm sure I can adapt. Did you grow up here?"

"Born and bred, sadly. I'm hoping to someday move to a bigger city, maybe somewhere in California. I'd really like to be an actress, to be honest! Even just getting out of Washington would be nice, though. I've been to Seattle a lot and don't mind the hustle and bustle of larger areas." Jessica answered easily and carried on with a lengthy reply that created an almost white noise sort of affect while Bella's thoughts drifted back to the boy she had almost knocked down this morning.

 _Is he a student? He didn't look old enough to be a teacher, but those muscles..._ Bella was practically drooling when she realized the news segment had finally ended and Jessica had slowed her babbling. Students were scooting out of their chairs and heading to the front of the classroom for crafting supplies and Jessica briefly outlined the concept they had come up with and instructed Bella to start on block letting.

/*\ /*\ /*\ /*\ /*\

The rest of the morning passed without any other unpleasant stumbling or embarrassing incidents in what could be considered a very predictable pattern of first day newness. Teachers would introduce her as Isabella and Bella would correct them. Only one teacher had made her introduce herself, then the classes moved on with their daily lessons and one or two students from each class would chat her up in an effort to be friendly or simply out of curiosity.

Much to her amusement, she found that Forks was behind the Phoenix school system and most of what her classes were working on was content she had covered earlier in the year. At least keeping her grades up wouldn't be an issue.

It was finally lunch time and seeing as how she hadn't been listening to the morning broadcast, Bella had no idea what was being offered for selections and had to come to quick decision between greasy looking pizza, a chicken patty sandwich, or a chef salad. Not knowing what was edible in this school, Bella settled on a chef salad and a bottle of water.

Next, her least favorite and most anxiety producing moment of her first day: sit by yourself with a book and establish yourself as a private eater or try to see if anyone you spoke to earlier in the day would be interested in having you sit with them. She was spared from any awkward dithering as Jessica popped up in line behind her and started chattering immediately, inviting Bella to follow her to a table that was filled with a few other students that she could recognize by face, but not name.

Bella took a seat next to Jessica and smiled tentatively at a dark haired girl that was introduced as Angela, a blonde boy she recognized from math class named Mike, the girl from the student news named Lauren, soon joined by Tyler, her co-host and eventually, a boy named Eric. The salad wasn't awful and Bella was happy to find the conversation light and friendly. No one pressed her too hard for information about her past other than that she was living with her dad because her mom had died in an accident.

 _Then again, losing a parent is probably just one of those things that people don't really want to pry about_ , Bella reflected. It was a quality she appreciated, as, while she was able to make it through most days without falling back down into the gaping hole in her heart that her mom had left, the edges were still a little raw some days.

She was torn from her reverie and forkful of salad when she happened to glance across the cafeteria to see the golden haired man-god from the early morning seated at a table with four other equally radiant beings. Bella's jaw dropped as her fork fell into her salad in her stupor, sending Jessica into a giggling fit as she followed the girl's gaze.

"You guys, Bella just noticed the Cullen's," Jessica whispered conspiratorially to her group of friends.

"I can't promise you'll ever get used to seeing a family with excessive levels of gorgeousness, but you probably won't drop your silverware every time you do," Angela offered with a smile while Lauren rolled her eyes.

"The Cullen's, huh," Bella asked while averting her gaze and picking her fork back up. "They're all related or what?"

"Well, actually, the two blondes, Rosalie and Jasper Hale, are brother and sister while the thin, pixie looking girl, Alice Cullen, and the broody, frowning boy with the reddish brown hair, Edward Cullen, are another brother and sister set. Mr. Muscles, Emmett Cullen, is unrelated to the others. Anyways, Rosalie and Muscles are dating," Jessica explained the complicated situation with gusto, happy to dish the details for the new girl. "They were all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife, though Rosalie and Jasper haven't taken their name."

Bella's arched one shapely brow as she asked, "What, did Dr. Cullen and his wife decide to only adopt attractive children?"

Jessica snorted, waggled one eyebrow suggestively and countered with, "I think the real question is, how awkward is it that two teens adopted into a family are dating each other."

Bella shrugged and turned back to her salad before stealing a few more glances at the table of gods and goddesses and noticed that none of them were touching their food. Rosalie and Emmett, seated next to one another, were having a conversation of their own, while the tiny one, Alice, was talking to her brother, Edward. Jasper appeared to be zoning out but a moment later, locked eyes with Bella.

Startled by the intensity of his gaze, she couldn't breathe, let alone look away. Bella felt like a deer in headlights and having been a deer in a headlights once or twice, she would know. Heart racing a million beats a minute, it wasn't until a student walked between the two that the spell was broken and Bella was able to look back down at her own tray.

Instincts screaming at her to run, Bella grabbed her empty water bottle and tray and said her goodbyes under the pretense of finding her next few classes so she didn't have to ask for help later. Standing, she bolted to the trash to dump the rest of her lunch and stack her tray for the dishwasher.

Bella was sure of one thing; _Jasper Hale is dangerous_.

/*\ /*\ /*\ /*\ /*\

Bella made it to her very last class of the day, Biology with Mr. Murdoch in the same room that her home base had been held in. Yet again, she was instructed to take the last remaining seat which was, unfortunately, next to Edward Cullen, adopted brother of Jasper Hale.

Bella smiled grimly and took her seat, letting her thick, chestnut hair fall as a curtain between the two of them, hoping to ward off any conversation. Glancing through strands of her barrier, she noticed Edward frown, at her clear unwillingness to communicate or something else, but didn't seem to want to push his luck.

It wasn't until he was preparing a slide for their shared microscope that she allowed herself to actually look at him. Though, Bella told herself it was so she could watch for any mistakes Edward could make, not because her instincts dictated she study his movements. Luckily, he didn't make any mistakes and she wasn't forced to speak to correct him.

Edward set the slide in place and took a look into the microscope, jotted some notes on what he observed and angled it towards Bella to look into. Though she had anticipated his movement, her muscles tensed, almost as though she were about to bolt out of her seat. Legs stiff and arms rigid, she stood and leaned over the eye piece, once again, her instincts screaming at her.

 _Danger! Danger! Don't look away from him! Don't let your guard down! He's dangerous!_

She could easily pinpoint that these internal reactions most likely had something to do with the fact that as a shifter, she could sense danger more acutely than human beings could, especially this close to the full moon, but she had never had this reaction to another person. Bella reminded herself that she was in a classroom, in broad daylight and some pale, moody kid wasn't going to hurt her. All she had to do was look at the slide, take her notes, clean up and go home. She could do that.

 _Breathe. Take notes. Go home._

Bella exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and set to work, taking note of the differences between the plant and animal based cells then helped clear her lab table while Edward returned the microscope, giving her a moment to collect herself. Backpack packed, she waited impatiently for the final bell to ring in four minutes, hoping Edward wouldn't initiate any sort of small talk in the interim.

Unfortunately, luck was no longer on her side as, no sooner had he sat back down from returning the microscope, Edward turned in his seat to face her and introduce himself. He seemed determined to start fresh with the girl, "Hello, my name is Edward. I started as a mid year new student last year as well. Is Forks painfully behind for you as well?"

At least this was an easy topic of conversation, despite the vibes she was picking up from him and his adopted brother. "Yes, actually. I can't believe how far behind Forks is in World History and English. I've read and written essays for all of the books assigned in English between now and the end of the year. Obviously, that means it's boring but I'm also pretty sure I have my old essays saved somewhere which means I can just do my own thing in terms of what to read," Bella beamed at the thought of reading whatever she wanted to.

Edward chuckled and replied, "I suppose it isn't cheating if you wrote them already. I'd try it. Where did you move here from?"

"I came up here from Phoenix. It's definitely more gloomy here," Bella noted with a glance out the window at the overcast skies. "I'd kill for some sunlight."

That remark caused her lab partner's lips to curl up in a grin. "I'm not too sure I share the sentiment, but I can see how you'd miss the sunlight up here, compared to the south."

The two sat in relative silence for the next 30 seconds until the final bell rang, at which point, Edward turned back to Bella and parted with, "See you tomorrow."

Talking had done little to quell her mental hangups on the boy and his family, her muscles still tense as she speed walked to her beat up, red truck. Bella didn't relax a single iota on her drive home and upon parking and exiting the truck, her tension increased tenfold.

Skin crawling and arm hair standing on end, she sensed something off and turned to inspect the wooded area that flanked her father's home. Though she saw nothing, her body stiffened further, causing even the hair on her head to raise slightly as she shivered convulsively and backed slowly to her front door.

Without turning away from the woods to see what she was doing. Hands shaking, Bella took her keys from her coat pocket and unlocked the door to let herself in. She locked and bolted it behind her before lowering herself to the stairs, shaking.

She could feel, even if she couldn't see, that someone or something had been watching her from deep within the trees.

/*\ /*\ /*\ /*\ /*\

Bella had resorted to cooking a spaghetti and meatball dinner as a means to soothe herself, though that hadn't stopped her from checking the windows facing the trees multiple times for any new developments. There had been none, and Bella had even gone so far as to step outside onto the small porch to investigate and felt that whatever it had been, was no longer in the area.

Feeling better knowing that Charlie getting home in the next 15 minutes or so, Bella turned back to dinner prep and added noodles to the boiling water, let them cook, then drained and returned them to the pot. Checking the fridge for a vegetable of some sort, she found a bag of lettuce that looked decent enough and a bottle of ranch dressing.

Hearing the familiar crunch of gravel as Chief Swan's police cruiser pulled into the driveway, followed by the sound of a car door opening and shutting and then boots on the patio. Bella relaxed further and got two plates and two glasses from the cupboard as well as two forks from the silverware drawer.

Charlie walked into the kitchen and gave an approving sniff. "Smells great, Bells! Spaghetti?"

"Spaghetti _and_ meatballs, actually," Bella replied with a smile. "I figured since I get home earlier than you, I could take over cooking. I know we didn't talk about it but you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all! I didn't know you could cook and it will definitely mean less pizza and takeout for me, which is a good thing," Charlie answered with a chuckle. "Tell you what, why don't we go grocery shopping together this weekend and we can pick out some things you want for meals and snacks."

"I wouldn't mind picking up a few things before then, if you need. I know there's fish out in the freezer but I could pick up some meal things tomorrow after school if you wanted, just to round things out until this weekend," Bella offered.

"That would be great!" Charlie exclaimed, clearly relieved at not having to do the shopping and looking forward to home cooked meals for the rest of the week. "I'll leave my card on the table tomorrow morning so you can get what we need. I'm going to go wash up for dinner and then you can tell me all about your first day."

"Sounds good, dad," Bella grinned and started to dish up the plates, feeling the tiny beginnings of what she hoped would become a routine in the weeks to come.

The two enjoyed a mostly quiet dinner sprinkled with a few questions about Bella's day and the names of the classmates that had been accepting of her joining their little group for lunch. Charlie had only nice things to say, having known all of the families for the past two decades.

Bella wondered if Charlie knew anything about the Cullen's and decided to ask. "I did meet a group of somewhat standoffish kids this afternoon. Do you know much or ever hear anything about the Cullen's?"

Charlie set his fork down and his demeanor became somewhat defensive, "I don't know what you've heard at school, Bella, but I do know that not everyone in town can appreciate that we have such a wonderful doctor willing to stay in Forks despite the much smaller paycheck. Aside from him, there are only two other doctors, and they both travel between Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles and Forks. We're lucky to have someone dedicated to Forks at all, not to mention someone so family oriented. Both Dr. Cullen and his wife are very young and to take on five children that aren't their own biologically is something I can admire. Not only that, their kids haven't caused a single lick of trouble, something I can't say for most of the locals."

It was quite possibly the longest speech Bella had ever heard her father deliver and she backtracked slightly, hoping he didn't get the wrong impression from her. "They seemed nice enough, and I'm biology partners with Edward Cullen. I was just curious. They seem to stick to themselves," she shrugged anxiously out of habit.

Charlie's face softened and he nodded along, "I could see that. I'm sure they must feel like outsiders. They moved here last year and I could see, in a family that size, they might not want to bother with people outside of their circle."

Bella nodded in silent agreement, though her curiosity wasn't sated. There was definitely something different about them, something that had set her insides clamoring.

After dinner, Charlie headed to the living room to watch some TV while Bella cleared and washed the dishes before settling in at the table to do homework, trying to not think about the Cullen's more than necessary. She had finished her Geography homework and got a head start on her 2000 word essay on how ancient trade routes impacted modern day imports and exports in Italy when Bella decided to call it a night.

Bella took a few moments to tell Charlie to have a good night and to check that the front and back doors were locked before heading up the stairs to pick out a pair of flannel pajamas. After she changed, she crossed the room to check that her own bedroom windows were locked. A sweep of the yard reassured her that nothing was out of place and the night mostly calm. Finally, she padded over to her bed and sank into the warm covers while trying to clear her mind for sleep. Surprisingly, it wasn't as far off as she'd thought it would be and within minutes, Bella drifted into a mostly dreamless sleep.

 _**A/N: A huge thank you to my beta le-kat-noir for encouraging me to write this story in addition to watching out for stray run-on sentences (I'M VERY GUILTY OF THIS, I KNOW). As soon as the next chapter has been beta-ed, I will post it!  
_

 _I know this chapter leaves a bit to be desired in terms of pace but I promise things are going to pick up soon! I wanted to follow the general outline that Stephenie Meyer laid out as a means for story progression referencing._

 _On that note, characters are property of SM and I own nothing/am paid nothing._


	2. Chapter 2

Bella's second day of school, a Wednesday, started out much more smoothly than the previous. She made it to home base with five minutes to spare, earning a smile from Mr. Murdoch. Jessica dashed in taking her seat next to Bella just as the final bell was ringing. This earned her a stern glance and a "Cutting it close, Miss Stanley," from the teacher. The girl seemed embarrassed, at least, as a blush had crept up her neck.

Twiddling her thumbs and tapping the toe of her shoe against the linoleum flooring, the daily news had started before Jessica had a chance to explode whatever tidbit of information she seemed to be holding in. The very minute it had ended and the class broke out into conversation surrounding the poster they were constructing, Jessica turned to face Bella with a very serious expression on her face. "Dude. You will never guess who isn't in school today," she whispered dramatically.

Bella snorted before answering, "Probably not considering I don't really know anyone yet."

"Well, I guess not, but anyways - Edward Cullen isn't here today! The rest of his family is and every one of them looks super pissed off. I guess some people are speculating that they had a fight or something because Rosalie and Jasper, the blonde ones, seemed to be really annoyed with Alice, the tiny one. I overheard Alice telling them that she's doing the best she can to get him to come back, whatever that means!" Jessica gushed in glee. "Then Jasper said that Edward was just throwing a temper tantrum and that's why I was almost late! I was walking super slowly so I could listen in."

"I wonder what would have been bad enough to drive their brother away. That's too bad." Bella mused.

"Yeah, it really is. They're all so quiet when it comes to opening up outside of their family. I doubt we'll ever know," Jessica reflected in a tone that implied to Bella she was more upset over the fact that she would never know, than the fact that a family had been fractured.

Bella stood and headed for the poster at the front of the classroom and Jessica followed suit. For the next 15 minutes, they worked, coloring and adding glitter to the lettering Bella had drawn up the day before. She spent that time letting thoughts of the Cullen family fill her mind. _What on earth could have happened that one member of the family could just leave - if Edward was the person Alice was doing her best to get to come back. Not only that, why would Jasper and Rosalie be angry about him being upset enough to leave? Shouldn't they be concerned about getting their brother back?_

/*\/*\/*\/*\/*\

Before she knew it, it was lunch time. Yet again, Bella hadn't paid any mind to the daily news and was unprepared to choose a lunch option other than salad, though, she didn't mind. Today, unlike yesterday, she took her seat at Jessica's table without being asked, feeling that she was welcome. Angela gave her a nod in greeting and asked what Bella liked doing in her free time.

"In the last year and a half or so, I've gotten a little into camping and spending time outdoors, but I have to be in the mood for it," Bella explained with a smile. "Preferably when it's a little drier. I love reading and definitely need to expand my collection. I moved once before moving up here and lost a lot of my books to storage. Are there any bookstores in Forks?"

"There are books sold in the grocery store," Angela answered with a thoughtful look on her face. "I think you'd have better luck in Port Angeles. Maybe we can take a trip sometime? I've been wanting to get some new shoes and a few shirts for a while, and my little brother wants me to stop by the anime and game store to get him some playing cards. We could ask Jess, too."

"That would be really fun!" Bella agreed almost immediately. It had been a long time since she'd done any shopping for herself, not to mention had any time to enjoy just browsing stores with friends. _Or had any friends at all_ , she realized.

"What would be fun?" Jessica asked in a tone that somehow mixed suspicion and excitement. "You guys know I'm down for anything, right? We going to toilet paper a house?"

"Oh my god, no, Jess. We're not TPing anything," Angela scowled in exasperation. "You always think we're going to TP something and I'm starting to think that's what you want to do! Bella and I were just talking about taking a trip to Port Angeles sometime and I figured you'd want to come too."

"That would be fun!" Jessica agreed enthusiastically. "And actually, yes, I kind of do want to TP something."

Angela rolled her eyes at her longtime friend and glanced at Bella before saying, "I'm not too sure you should be talking about covering a house in toilet paper in front of the daughter of the chief of police, Jess."

"Oh," Bella interjected in a hurry, "I'm not uptight or anything. I think it's kind of funny in a juvenile sort of way. I might not participate but I'm not going to out you to my dad or anything."

Jessica and Angela smiled at Bella and started in on their lunches. It was at that time that Bella let her focus extend beyond Angela to notice Jasper Hale staring at her yet again. For a second time, Bella found herself unable to look away, animalistic anxiety filling her.

Her pulse quickened and Jasper cocked his head ever so slightly to the right, as if he'd heard and posed some kind of question. Unsure what to even make of the situation, Bella was rescued by Lauren who had flopped down next to Angela only to notice her intense stare off with the blonde god.

"Geez, Bella. Stare much?" Lauren asked with heavy snark.

Averting her eyes to her lunch, Bella decided not to stoop to the girl's level and answer her. Not that it did any good.

"Seriously. Jasper is a senior, sweetie. He isn't about to go for some junior, especially one that dresses more like a boy than a girl that has apparently never heard of makeup or hair styling. It's not like some Plain Jane is going to be able to get anywhere with him," Lauren explained to Bella as though she were stupid.

Maybe it was because her shift was in a few days and she was running on more energy than usual, maybe she just appalled by the girl's rudeness, but Bella snapped. "Firstly, Lauren, don't assume you know if I'm interested in someone because I happened to catch their gaze. Secondly, don't attempt to be condescending towards me again or you'll learn a new meaning for the phrase catfight."

Angela and Jessica had stopped eating and were staring, mouths gaping at Bella, who was now standing up and holding her tray in hands that were shaking with anger. "I don't know if you're normally a bitch or if you're personally offended by the fact that Jasper Hale has looked at me more in two days than I assume he ever has at you, but cut the petty bullshit."

Bella spun on her heel and headed towards the garbage to dump her barely nibbled at lunch. For one fleeting moment, her eyes had flicked over to the Cullen's table where she saw a smiling Rosalie and Alice, an openly laughing Emmett and a shocked looking Jasper.

 _I wasn't speaking very loudly, if I had been, I'm sure a teacher would have cornered me by now. Could they have heard me or is it a coincidence?_ Bella wondered.

She didn't have time to stand around and think about Jasper Hale, so she finished clearing her tray and headed to English early. It gave her time to crack open a book and try to regain her composure. Reading proved too difficult to focus on, as her mind kept drifting towards the strange family that set her shifter senses on edge. She stuffed her tattered copy of "Wuthering Heights" back into her backpack and closed her eyes, concentrating instead on her breathing. By the time the bell rang, Bella was feeling more in control of herself and capable of finishing out the day.

/*\/*\/*\/*\/*\

The afternoon dragged on without incident and after Chemistry, complete with a missing Edward Cullen as promised, Bella headed for the grocery store. She picked up everything she needed for a few nights of dinners as well a couple things she could pack ahead for her lunches.

Upon hopping out of her truck, she took note of the fact that the woods felt much less menacing. Her watcher appeared to have abandoned their post, hopefully for good. Bella carried the bags inside and worked on putting the food away in the bright yellow cupboards.

Determined to keep herself busy, she set about making chicken enchiladas and popped them into the oven. Next, she moved onto her homework. Of course, since she was trying to stay busy, she finished in record time. With 10 minutes left on the enchiladas and about 15 minutes until Charlie got home, Bella prepped her lunch for the next day and even set the table. Finally, she heard the crunch of gravel and the familiar sound of Charlie crossing the porch to enter the house.

Like the night previously, Charlie first washed up, then came to the table where they each talked about their day, followed by Charlie clearing the table and Bella washing the dishes. She certainly didn't mind and was happy for the distraction.

With nothing left to keep her occupied, Bella headed up the stairs around 8 in the evening to shower and try to sleep, only to find herself plagued by mental images of Jasper Cullen's piercing eyes. Even when her own were shut, she could see his warm, golden eyes clearly, watching her, gauging her.

 _What is he looking for? Am I irritating him in some way? How? By existing?_ Seeing as she hadn't done anything other than almost knocking him over the previous day, which had been an accident, she couldn't imagine she'd offended him in any way. They hadn't even spoken.

The last time she checked, her alarm clock indicated it was past midnight and desperate to fall asleep, Bella took a single allergy pill, hoping that taking only one would prevent any morning grogginess that usually accompanied the medicine. After an additional 30 minutes of tossing and turning, Bella fell asleep.

/*\/*\/*\/*\/*\

Thursday flew by in a blur. Bella chose a seat at a vacant table for lunch, only to have Jessica and Angela accompany her in the new location in what must have been some sort of social coup. Aside from that and the continued absence of Edward Cullen, the day was nothing to write home about. She had even successfully evaded Jasper Cullen's gaze from her new table.

Friday was an entirely different story. Immediately upon stepping outside, Bella could sense it; her watcher had returned to the woods from the night previous. The air was stifling and simultaneously electric, causing the hair on her arms to raise. She could almost taste the scent.

All morning at school, Bella worked on a plan for sniffing the creep out. She could shift into something with good sensing abilities, something predatory. Mentally settling on a mountain lion, she formulated other aspects; the pattern she'd follow for her perimeter check and where to scent the area with her own smell. That way, any wild animals would know to leave her house the hell alone. After that, she could try her hand, or paw, at tracking whatever had been lurking.

Once again, it was time for Bella make her way to the lunchroom. Bagged lunch in hand, Bella sat at her new table and unpacked her turkey wrap and green grapes as Jessica and Angela took their seats across from her.

"Dude. Jasper is staring at you again," Jessica snorted as she took a bite out of **(a)** sandwich, peanut butter and jelly, from the smell of it.

"Surprise, surprise," Bella answered her with a sarcastic tone. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me. I nearly knocked him down on my first day and I don't think he has let it go."

Bella's reply had Jessica giggling at the mental image while Angela merely looked thoughtful.

"I don't know if that would make me not like someone, though," Angela pointed out. "Maybe he just wants to know more about the mysterious new girl that almost ran him down," the dark haired girl continued with a wink.

"Because there's just so much to tell," Bella replied dryly with a roll of her eyes. Though, there was definitely more to her than met the eye. _Though, there is no way he could know that, right?_

"Well, you are a bit of a mystery," Jessica offered after swallowing a mouthful of sandwich. "I mean, you kind of had a reputation, even before getting here. There were all sorts of rumors about you and for the most part, you've proven them totally incorrect."

That sparked Bella's interest. "What sort of rumors," the girl asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, just that you're a tough girl, known for starting fights and getting kicked out of school, not to mention that this is kind of your last shot at a public high school," Jessica answered honestly for Bella. "But it's clear you're not really aggressive so much as you are defensive and your issues likely stemmed from what you were going through at the time. At least that's what my mom told me. She's a counselor."

Bella was amazed by the fact that Jessica didn't sugarcoat anything and wasn't treating her like she was fragile. "Your mom is pretty spot on, to be honest. After my mom died, I was kind of lost, you know? Any little thing was likely to just throw everything off for me and it made me so angry," Bella admitted glumly. "I've come a long way since then and it has been helpful having my dad around. I actually hope that all of this sticks."

Angela simply smiled and nodded, touched that Bella had opened up. Jessica gave a grin of her own and raised her carton of milk. "To Forks sticking," Jess toasted. Bella and Angela raised their bottles of lemonade as well and clinked them all together before laughing and turning back to their lunches.

"I'm really glad you're not a pushover, though," Jessica continued, circling back on their discussion. "I mean, Lauren absolutely needed to hear what you said and if you hadn't, it would only have been a matter of time before someone else snapped at her for being so rude to people. She's just mad because she has been rejected by Jasper more than once, so you struck a nerve."

"Multiple times?" Bella wondered aloud. "Guess she just didn't get the hint."

"She's persistent, if nothing else," Angela explained. "Not that I blame her. Jasper is...gorgeous. Though, I prefer Edward, myself," she said with a faraway dreamy look in her eyes.

Jessica nodded along at Angela's pronouncement before agreeing, "Absolutely. Jasper is kind of scary. He's more dangerous hot, Edward is more of the sad and brooding variety. I bet he writes poetry," she practically swooned.

"No way! You two need your eyes checked," Bella interjected. "Jasper is definitely the most delectable. Though, I'd have to agree that he feels dangerous, Jess," she added her two cents with a glance to the Cullen table.

Alice and Rosalie looked extremely tense, while Emmett was turned towards Jasper, grinning ear to ear. With that possible coincidence in mind, Bella decided to try a little experiment.

"I suppose Emmett is attractive too, but in a bear-turned human sort of way." Bella's statement was followed by a booming laugh from across the room as the hulking man-boy met her eyes with a knowing grin that he followed up with a wink.

 _They can hear me, and now they know that I know they can_ , Bella thought to herself. _Well, that's slightly embarrassing._ Now that her suspicions were confirmed, she turned back to her grapes and popped the last few in her mouth, eager to escape the lunch room. She needed to process this information and think about what this super hearing could mean away from the probing, golden eyes, of Jasper Hale.

"Well, I'll see you guys Monday," Bella told her new friends, gathering her lunch trash up as she talked.

"Yeah! Next week let's figure out when we can go to PA – Port Angeles," Jessica added as she gathered her own mess together to get ready for her next class.

"Sounds good to me," Angela answered as she pulled out a textbook, preparing to spend the remaining time before class working on homework.

Bella gave a final smile to the girls and departed, heading for the hallway outside her English class, planning to sit and read by herself.

It was only a few minutes after she had sat down and pulled out her worn copy of Wuthering Heights that she felt a chill, her shifter instincts alerting her to danger, even when she was preoccupied. Bella raised her eyes slowly from her book to peek down the length of the hall to scan for whatever threat had her heart suddenly racing.

She saw nothing, but knew whatever or whomever it was, felt like the same presence she'd been feeling from the woods. Trying her best to remain calm in an attempt to draw the predator out, she flipped the page of her book so as to appear to be reading. After a few moments she let out a natural sounding sigh.

Another 127 seconds had passed with no change in atmosphere aside from yet another fake page turn. Bella knew that getting up before the bell rang to enter the classroom would not only seem odd, but would leave her cornered in a classroom all alone. Hoping that the presence of other students would prevent her stalker from pursuing her, she kept up her act of reading for the final minute before the bell rang.

Bella was relieved when the bell echoed down the corridor. She stowed her book back in her bag and stood before stretching, using the gesture as a means to study the hall yet again. Aside from her English classmates and a few others headed for Math farther down the way, she saw nothing out of the ordinary and no one suspicious. Sighing, she headed for her classroom, determined to keep up appearances.

 _Just get through the afternoon. In a few more hours and you can go home and get ready to hunt down the fucker_. Bella reminded herself.

/*\/*\/*\/*\/*\

Later that evening, when dinner had been cooked and eaten, the kitchen cleaned and her homework completed, Bella and Charlie sat together in the living room and watched a sports talk show. The enthusiastic hosts were discussing some basketball team's odds for winning and recapping previous games. It definitely wasn't what Bella would consider interesting, but kept her occupied. The energy of the ever changing moon thrummed inside her, causing a sort of restless twitch.

Luckily, Charlie didn't seem to notice; his eyes were glued to the screen, but he somehow managed to coax words out, despite his fixated gaze. "I hope you don't mind, Bells, but I'm headed over to Billy Black's tomorrow morning for some fishing and Sunday we were thinking about heading down to Harry Clearwater's place to watch a few games. Harry has a special sports package on his TV so it's kind of the place to be. Will you be okay here?"

Bella was relieved. An early to bed, early to rise, kind of Charlie would be easier to deal with than a late night Charlie, especially with her need to sneak out at night. "No, Ch-dad, I don't mind. I have laundry and some reading to do. I might even head into town to get some more groceries. If you want, I could pick up some things for a fish fry?"

Charlie seemed just as relieved as Bella had, though for different reasons, and visibly brightened at the thought of a fried fish dinner. "That sounds fantastic, Bells! But if you run into any trouble, you can call me and I'll come home, okay?"

"I'll be okay, really! I like spending time by myself, to be honest. I'll probably just make some tea and curl up with a few books. It's kind of hard for me to read when I have distractions and having time to myself is nice," Bella tried to assuage her father's guilt. "Plus, we can still have dinner together tomorrow night and if on Sunday night you're not home, I can eat up leftovers. I'm not helpless."

"I know, Bella. I just don't want you to feel lonely. If you wanted, you could even phone the girls you mentioned you've gotten acquainted with this week and have them over Sunday. Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber? I could leave money for pizza, even."

"You don't have to do that, dad, but I appreciate the thought. Maybe I'll call Jess and Angela to chit chat once I get through laundry and Wuthering Heights. I've been trying to reread it all week," Bella admitted with a laugh. "Angela even suggested going to Port Angeles some time to look for new books so I promise, I'll start getting out more after this weekend."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you're settling in and making some friends," Charlie told Bella with sincerity. "Anyways, I think it's about time for me to head to bed but if you want to stay up and watch some TV, you know you can."

"Honestly, I think I'm going to bed, too. It's been a long week," Bella explained as she started for the stairs.

"Goodnight then, Bells."

"Night, dad."

Bella headed to her bedroom and set about getting ready for her shift, laying some clean pajamas out for when she got back and quietly doing stretching exercises that would allow for a more smooth transition. Having felt a flicker of suspicion at her early night, she wasn't surprised to hear the hood of her truck being opened and went to the window to watch as Charlie disconnected the cables from her battery.

 _Guess he doesn't trust that I'm going to stay in. Can't blame him, since I'm not._

To avoid further suspicious, Bella turned out the lights and curled up in the bed before attempting to clear her mind. After 30 minutes of slow, deep breaths, she heard Charlie crack her door to check and see if she was still there. A few moments later, he headed down the hall to his own room. The girl waited another hour for good measure, until, with her heightened senses, she heard her father's own deep breathing.

Bella eased out of her bed quietly and by some miracle, it didn't squeak beneath her. She tiptoed gracefully to the window and spent the next 2 minutes quietly opening it, inch by inch, the swollen wood resisting her initially. At about 1/3 of the way open, Bella grabbed an old book off of her computer desk and propped the window open with it, just in case.

Bella stripped off her clothes and concentrated once again on her breathing, imagining the small feathered creature in detail. Smaller birds were usually difficult for her but within a few seconds, the girl had accomplished her goal and shifted into a sparrow. Giving her wings a few test flaps and zooming around the room once, she flew out the open window into the night air and made for the woods that flanked her new home.

Landing on a branch about 20 feet from the ground, Bella took a few moments to access the night and noted the lack of any animal vibrations in the area. It seemed strange to not even be able to hear mice digging around, but she could sense no predatory animals in the vicinity either. Before she attracted too much attention as a smaller animal than she was typically comfortable embodying, Bella soundlessly dove to the forest floor. Without skipping a beat, she transformed into a mountain lion, landing softly on her padded paws.

Bella took deep whiffs of the night air, noting two separate and distinct smells. One was warm and pleasant, reminiscent of sunflowers, cinnamon, and perhaps, leather, as well as a less than pleasant, stark scent, that reminded her of cleaning products mixed with shoe polish and grass clippings. The repulsive scent lingered around a couple of trees that allowed a view of her driveway and home. She erupted in low growl involuntarily, before rubbing her cheeks and jaw along each and every tree that she supposed were the posts of her watcher. The warmer of the two scents was present in less areas and seemed to be more of a secondary smell.

Though both smelled days old to her sensitive nose, she was determined to come to some kind of resolution. Bella followed the scents through the trees for well over two hours, being taken deeper into the woods until the two opposing smells were no longer overlapping. Now, Bella had a choice to make: follow the good smell or the not good smell. She sat back on her haunches to consider and had just about made her mind up to follow the scent that she had mentally dubbed as belonging to "Stinky," when a cool breeze blew across her face. It brought with it a heavier dose of the good smell, accompanied by soft citrus notes she had missed in the older trail as well the scent of what she thought might be a herd of deer.

Acting solely on instinct, Bella headed silently for the source of the intoxicating aroma and was partially rewarded when she reached a clearing that held 10 or so deer, which meant the source of the other smell must be somewhere nearby. She crept slowly along the edge of the clearing, keeping downwind from the deer. A moment later, the clouds that had been covering the sky thinned, bathing the landscape in tones of silver and blue, even illuminating her shiny fur in the moonlight.

It was only then that Bella realized her mistake. If the deer were calm, they hadn't yet smelled her or whatever Bella was tracking, most likely because whatever it was, was also downwind of the herd. That meant that in addition to being exposed by the moonlight, Bella was now caught between the deer and whatever it was.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_ , she thought frantically as she eased back the way she'd come, certain that she hadn't come across the being's trail, meaning it would have to be to the left or right of her. Though she moved soundlessly, even to her sensitive ears, she felt that she had been spotted and was being pursued.

Without giving it a second thought, Bella ran swiftly towards the herd of deer, scattering them in the process, hopefully confusing whatever she was positive was now following her. As a shifter, Bella was stronger and faster than the animals she became, but whatever it was, was ungodly fast. The sound of it gaining on her set her into a panic. She saw a break in the trees ahead and took note of what appeared to be the edge of a cliff. Realizing she would be caught if she stayed on land, Bella veered to the left, claws tearing at the damp earth underneath her paws. Muscles screaming and panting with the effort she was exerting, Bella cleared the edge of the trees and launched her body off the rocky ledge.

Before she even had time to fall, she became the first winged animal she could think of: a large hawk. _At least I'm not a sparrow again_ , she thought.

Bella swooped down low over the edge and used her momentum to swing back up a large distance away from the ledge. Flapping her wings frantically, she rose higher and higher above the trees and into the sky until she felt a safe enough distance to turn and face whatever had been chasing her.

Blonde hair shimmering silver in the pale moonlight, Jasper Hale was staring open mouthed at the hawk, apparently unable to believe his eyes.

 _I guess I'm not the only one in Forks with a secret_ , Bella mused as she turned and headed for home.

/*\/*\/*\/*\/*\

 _A/N: Yet again, a huge thank you to le-kat-noir for being such a wonderful beta ;-; I could not have done this without your assistance._

 _Additionally, I do not own Twilight or it's characters, I just mess around with them a tad for no compensation._


	3. Chapter 3

Bella woke the next morning with a slightly hazy recollection of the previous night's shift. Renee had once explained that until Bella was more experienced and easily able to shift, it would be very normal for things to seem kind of fuzzy occasionally the next morning. Typically this only happened if she had over exerted herself, as the animal part of her brain wasn't as integrated with the rest of her mind. Stretching her arms above her head, she dislodged a few twigs and pine needles from her hair, causing her to crack a smile.

Pulling back the covers, Bella was pleased to see she wasn't caked in mud, meaning she had cleaned up last night before passing out. The girl got out of bed and went to her window and noted that Charlie's cruiser was missing, indicating she had the house to herself. Bella grabbed the fluffy pajamas that were still sitting out at the foot of her bed, and sped down the hall for the bathroom to start running the hot water for her shower.

Working quickly, focusing on getting clean, rather than relaxing, Bella washed the scent of pine from her hair and any remaining traces of dirt from her body before turning the shower off, but leaving the tap running to draw a bath. Stepping out of the warm pocket of air, she pulled open a drawer and found a bath bomb that promised soothing rejuvenation. The bath filled quickly and after turning the water off, she dropped the dark teal colored ball into the water, watching in fascination while it fizzed and spun as it released the calming scents of mint, citrus, and a touch of honey.

Bella eased into the tub and sank entirely, letting the deep aquamarine water envelope her. She felt her tense muscles slowly relax, noting that last night seemed to have been more strenuous than most. Something was itching at the back of her brain, something she needed to remember. She recalled attempting to sniff out her watcher, following the path that intersected multiple times with another very pleasant smell, something almost warm and fresh smelling and then...

It hit her like a pile of bricks and Bella bolted upright, gripping the edge of the tub as she gasped for air. _Jasper Hale can't possibly be human._ The sound of her blood rushing filled her ears as her heart took off at a gallop. Thinking back to the night before when he had been chasing her... _the sheer speed alone; far faster than any human could ever be_...Panic overtook her before she had a chance to mull over the ramifications.

Bella tried taking deep, soothing breaths to collect herself while she assembled the facts in her head: Firstly, Jasper Hale most definitely is not human. Not only that, with the super hearing experiment she had attempted, she'd guess that his brothers and sisters were also not human. Secondly, and even more importantly, she had exposed the existence of shifters in general. The first thing Renee had ever taught her about shifting was to never let anyone see you shift, be it in animal or human form. Now, Jasper Hale knew such a thing was possible. **  
**  
 _Fuck. What can I do?_ Bella slid back under the surface of the water and let the warmth spread through her body again.

 _I could move._ Though it would be absolutely devastating to give up the start of stability she had slipped into with her father, she knew that if she had to, she would leave him. Especially if it meant she could protect him from the knowledge.

 _It would kill Charlie, though. He just got me back_ , she countered herself. _Not to mention I actually like it here._

She considered if other options were available to her. _Maybe I could continue tracking Jasper and learn his secret._

This alternative was more dangerous, but perhaps, if she were to discover what Jasper and the other Cullens were, they potentially wouldn't expose her for the sake of keeping their own secret safe.

 _Break my father's heart in addition to my own or risk my life and break his heart if I die at the hands of...whatever they are,_ Bella debated as she finally broke the surface for air.

The second option seemed like a much easier pill to swallow and by the time Bella had firmly landed on her decision, the water in the tub was lukewarm at best. She sighed and moved to drain a majority of the bathwater before running more hot water. Determined to relax again, Bella sank back into her previously comfortable position and grabbed "Wuthering Heights" from the tray that was situated near the tub and settled in for a few chapters.

/*\ /*\ /*\

The morning passed peacefully, bringing an afternoon that was better served by running errands. Having managed to push through half of her book between the bath, breakfast, and lounging in the living room; Bella marked her spot with a slip of paper. She traded out the warmth of her pajamas for a pair of black jeans, a black long sleeved tee, and loose knit green sweater before dashing to the garage to grab a few bags of fish to thaw.

She yanked a pair of dark brown boots onto her feet and grabbed her keys from the small table near the front door before she started compiling a mental list of everything she'd need from the grocery store. It wasn't until she was in her pickup that Bella realized there was no one in the woods this morning. With a sigh of relief she started the old, monstrous truck and made her way into town.

Though she was still unused to the slick roads, Bella had made it in one piece. She meandered through the fruit section, stopping to look over oranges, which only served to remind her of Jasper, when she heard her name being called.

"Bella! Hey!"

The girl whirled around, looking for the source of the outburst. Spotting the smiling face of Mike Newton by the apples, she offered him a small nod in greeting. The blonde haired boy finished tying off his bag of green apples and headed her way.

"Hey, Mike." Bella answered him. "Doing some grocery shopping?"

"Yeah, my mom needed me to get some apples and brown sugar. My grandparents are visiting this weekend and she's making some kind of apple crumble, but didn't realize we didn't quite have everything we needed," he explained. "I don't know about you, but ever since I got my license, my parents just kind of send me on every little errand," the boy continued with a laugh.

"Yeah, it was kind of the same way with me and my mom," Bella admitted as she thought back on how flighty Renee could be. "She was a little scattered sometimes so forgetting to do things was a pretty normal occurrence. I don't mind grocery shopping, though. This one time she wanted to make a chicken bake of some kind, spent a good portion of our shopping trip getting things for it, but actually forgot the chicken," Bella recalled with a laugh.

"Oh my god, Bella, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring up my mom when yours is-." Mike cut off awkwardly and twiddled with the bag in his hands.

"You can say dead, Mike," the girl offered quietly. "It's been a while and I know she's gone, but it's nice to think about her sometimes."

Mike smiled grimly at the girl. In an attempt to forgo any further awkwardness, he then held up the apples he was still holding and said "Well, I'd better get these home."

"Don't forget the brown sugar," was Bella's only reply.

Mike laughed nervously, anxious to get away from her and nodded, spun on his heel and headed for the baking aisle. He was quickly out of sight.

Bella sighed. _Well, that was awkward_. If she thought about it, what she said was true: She really didn't mind being reminded of her mom. It was comforting in a way that she could still think about Renee without feeling so empty inside. The girl wondered when that had happened. It certainly hadn't come in just a week of being with Charlie, though she couldn't help but think that he assisted.

Charlie had offered her a home, a fresh start at school, and a clean slate when it came to trusting her, though the emotional baggage that had accumulated behind her in the last year would be enough to make any parent wary. Even her shift hadn't been as rough, physically, as she'd recalled since being alone, despite the intensity of her current situation. With appreciation for Charlie fresh in her mind, Bella picked out a few apples herself, knowing he would enjoy baked apple pancakes for breakfast.

Finishing the rest of her shopping without running into anyone else she knew, Bella drove home and set about putting the groceries away. Having nothing else to do with herself, she decided to spend more quality time enjoying her book with a cup of tea. She turned the burner on for the kettle and plopped two bags of lemon ginger tea into a mug before settling in at the table.

The screaming of the kettle interrupted Bella in the middle of a chapter and after pouring water over the bags and getting situated again, she found it difficult to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting to a certain blonde haired Adonis with a secret. Huffing in frustration, she set the paperback down and added honey to her tea before stirring and taking a sip.

 _What to do, what to do? Go back or don't go back? I need information, but I need to be careful, especially with that hearing of his_.

Bella sighed deeply and shut her eyes for a moment. She would have to go back, there was no way around it. _Getting chased once does not spell out the end of the mission. Watch him. Study him. Find out what they are. You can do this; you have to._

Now that she was in for the evening, at least, in terms of her human body. Bella changed back to her pajamas and put on a movie for background noise while she worked on full body stretches to prepare herself for the night. When she heard Charlie's car pull in, Bella headed to the kitchen to check the fish, which was fully thawed, and preheated the oven for fries.

She set to assembling the flour, bread crumb mixture and poured some oil in the cast iron skillet as her father entered the house. "Hey, Bella. You home?"

"Sure am. You catch anything?"

"Not a darn thing," Charlie answered in exasperation. "It's still too early, I know, but we thought we'd get something. I guess fishing is more about the time spent with your buddies than actually catching things, sometimes."

"Definitely," Bella laughed. "Good thing we aren't in danger of running out anytime soon. I'm starting the fish fry here in a minute. Are you okay having fries with it, like fish and chips?"

"That sounds good, Bells. You need a hand?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'll pop the fries in the oven and let the oil heat up, no help needed," she answered.

"Well, just let me know," Charlie called back as the sounds of a sports based television show filled the silence.

Bella put the pan of fries into the oven and washed up the few dishes that had accumulated over the day and added some salt and pepper to the flour for dredging before she forgot. She flipped the fries, then got two eggs from the fridge and started her fish frying assembly line.

By the time the fries were done, she had cooked up enough fish for Charlie and herself and then some. Grabbing two plates down from the cupboard, Bella called out, "Dinner is just about ready," so Charlie had time to wash up. She then dished the two of them up, before reaching into the fridge for some tartar sauce and ketchup and carrying dinner to the table.

"You do some great work in there, Bells," Charlie announced appreciatively as he took his seat. "You've been a great help and I just wanted to let you know I am grateful for it."

"I'm happy to help. It's really no bother for me."

"Still, I expected things to be a little more difficult, to be honest, and I'm glad that things seem to be going well," he explained. "How are you liking school so far, now that you're a week in and a little more acclimated?"

"It's going okay, really. I'm sorry you had reason to think it would be harder than it has been," Bella answered sincerely. "I'm doing a lot better _here_ , though," she tacked on in explanation.

Charlie nodded thoughtfully and let the two eat in companionable silence for the time being. As they finished their dinners, however, he frowned and started in on something that had clearly been bothering him. "Last night you mentioned that the Stanley and Weber girls were thinking about heading to Port Angeles sometime soon. I don't want to give you a flat out no, but I'd feel better if a parent or even a larger group went with you. It isn't that I don't think you can take care of yourself, but there has been an increase in missing persons cases in the area. Maybe just back burner that for now?"

Bella was touched her father had thought of her safety and willingly accepted putting off the trip. She nodded, "Of course. I had no idea people had been going missing!"

"Thanks for being so agreeable, Bells. I do trust you, really, I just don't trust anyone else, especially when I have to hear about the disappearances at work."

"Have there been any leads or developments," Bella asked her father, curious about the crime in such a small area.

"There's no information at all. No leads, just people going missing. It's not happening often enough that there's a pattern either."

"That's scary," Bella murmured.

"It is, especially for around here. It's not normal."

The two resumed their silence, as Bella cleared the table and started the dishes. "Anyways," Charlie started, "I don't want you to worry or feel unsafe out here, just keep aware."

"I will, dad. And just so you know, if anyone tries to take me, I'll make sure chunks of them are left behind," she answered with a wicked grin.

At that, Charlie broke into a smile, "That's my girl. Now, are you sure you're fine with me heading over to Harry's tomorrow?"

"Yes, dad," Bella answered with mild exasperation. "I will be fine. I got the grocery shopping done today and might actually get to finish reading my book tomorrow. If I get super bored, I'll get on the laundry I forgot to do today," she finished with a dry laugh.

/*\ /*\ /*\

A few hours later, it was finally time. Muscles thrumming with energy, Bella soundlessly opened her window and set the old textbook underneath it to keep it propped open. She removed her pajamas and shifted into a sparrow, heading straight for the woods where, upon perching, shifted into a darker version of the hawk she had become the night before. Deciding that going back to the meadow would be the best place to start, Bella flew the distance much more quickly than she had walked, and settled in to wait on a tree branch that offered her a good view but was still covered overhead by branches.

Bella didn't have to wait long, as no more than 15 minutes had passed when Jasper entered the clearing himself. He seemed to be looking nowhere in particular before sitting down in the tall grasses near an outcropping of rocks. Another minute or two passed and the blonde teen, twining his fingers together, placed them behind his head and laid back, apparently observing the night sky.

The contrast between the terrifying hunter and the quiet star gazing boy in front of her was stark and left Bella wondering how to proceed. That's when he spoke: "I apologize for my behavior last night. I didn't know you weren't really a mountain lion. I realize now that you're much more than that, however, and I wouldn't dream of harming you. You can come down, if you'd like."

He sounded sincere and Bella felt no instinct to flee, regardless of the fact that he had somehow known she was there. Without conscious thought, Bella fluttered softly to the ground, halving the distance between them, before becoming a mountain lion. She stalked slowly closer to the boy that hadn't moved from his spot in the grass and took a seat roughly 10 feet away from him.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes as they studied one another. To break the stillness, Bella licked her paw and proceeded to rub her face before lowering her front paws and wagging her tail in the widely used animal posture, the play bow. Jasper broke into a booming laugh, apparently understanding the gesture.

"You want to play? I'm pretty fast as you know," Jasper commented as he stood, sizing her up. "I'm also much stronger than you, I believe. I'll do my best to not actually hurt you."

Bella let out the mountain lion equivalent of a chuckle and started to circle the blonde boy, baring her teeth in mock aggression. Without warning, she darted towards him, but as her leap brought her close, he dodged right. The two began circling one another again and this time, Jasper charged her.

He jumped towards her with astounding speed and grace and while he may have been quicker when it came to running, Bella had no real problem dodging him. Getting a feel for each other, the pair began moving more quickly, dodging here and there, taking turns swiping and almost pinning.

At least an hour had passed in this manner, until Bella had to duck to miss Jasper, only to have him crash through the trunk of a tree causing the thick pine to crash loudly behind him a few moments later. She stared open mouthed at the splintered remains of the tree, then at Jasper as a warning growl escaped her mouth involuntarily. Bella backed up slowly, the animal inside of her wary that he had the force necessary to destroy a tree.

Jasper stood back up, shaking pine needles and splinters of wood from his hair. "I'm sorry if I frighten you," he raised his hands in surrender. "Like I said, I'm very strong. I can assure you that if I had run the risk of running into you, I would have been able to determine the trajectory to land without causing you harm. I didn't think it necessary to exert the effort on this poor tree here," he patted the remaining stump for emphasis.

Bella debated this explanation as she took a moment to catch her breath and decided that he very well could be telling the truth. _It isn't like I know what he's capable of. On that note, he doesn't know what I'm capable of either..._

Bella grinned deviously, even for a mountain lion, and shifted in front of him into a very intimidating, giant black bear.

Jasper stood, slack jawed at her transformation for a few moments before stepping forward. "Are you able to shift into any animal, then?" He asked softly, in awe.

Bella nodded her head and with a snort, spent the next few minutes becoming first a coyote, a fox, a deer, and a flamingo before finally settling back on her mountain lion form. Sitting back on her haunches, she gestured her paw at him, as if to ask where his talents lay.

A huge grin stole over his face as he interpreted her unasked question, "Sadly, I can't do anything that cool. I'm just fast and very strong. Here, feel," he extended an arm towards her.

Bella reached her paw tentatively towards the boy and tapped his arm, surprised at the chilled, rock hard flesh. Her shock must have been evident as he broke into a fit of laughter, startling her further. "I'm sorry," he smirked and certainly didn't look sorry. "I've never seen a confused mountain lion before."

She snorted in response and shoved her paw against his upper body, satisfied that she wouldn't harm him with her claws. Jasper just laughed harder at her reaction. "You're a hoot," Jasper offered with a smile.

Without skipping a beat, Bella shifted into a barred owl, and took a mock bow. "An absolute riot," he laughed again as she fluttered to his still outstretched arm. She glanced at his watch and sighed internally. It was almost 1am and she needed to get some sleep before the sound of Charlie waking up for the game woke her.

Letting out a soft hoot, she tapped the face of the watch gently, not wanting to cause any damage to the material.

"Time to go? So soon?"

Bella hooted softly in response, nodding her head.

He hesitated for a moment and then, "Will you come back tomorrow?"

Bella glanced up to his face to see he appeared reluctantly hopeful. She bobbed her head up and down hoping it conveyed the affirmative.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said with another easy smile.

Bella hooted once more and took to the sky, looking back once to see he was still watching her, though, respectfully not following her. She made the journey back to her home with ease and as she neared it, managed a midair shift into her re-entry sparrow before landing on her bedroom floor and becoming human once more.

Exhausted, the girl stood slightly to pull the book from the window before shutting and locking it, turned to her bed and fell into a deep sleep.

/*\ /*\ /*\

 _A/N: Sorry for the slight delay on posting this chapter! I was attempting to stick to a Wednesday upload schedule but that fell to the way side when I had some weird gaps in this chapter that took me a while to work through. This is the first story I've ever written so I reallllllllllllllly appreciate your patience with me!_

 _Thank you, thank you, thank you, to my beta, le-kat-noir, for being so patient with my inability to adjust to using the Oxford Comma, and to my brother for telling me "It's so good, it's hard to believe **you** wrote it." I really appreciate the confidence, bud. _

_Also, a **GINORMOUS** thank you to everyone that has liked, followed, and reviewed. You are all little angel babies and it seriously makes my day!  
_

Once again, Twilight and it's characters are property of SM and I own nothing/am paid nothing! Hooray!


	4. Chapter 4

_**QUICK A/N:** I am so, so, so sorry that it took me a bit longer to get this chapter out! Early last week, my S.O. had to put his family dog to sleep. He was an old dog that lived a great life filled with happiness. Having lived with my S.O.'s family for a year while we figured out what we were doing here in Washington, I got relatively close to the pup and it really got to me. Between my own sadness and helping my guy grieve, I just wasn't up to cranking this chapter out as quickly as I would have been normally._

 _On top of that, I am currently horrendously ill - a lovely chest cold that incubated while masquerading as allergies for 3 weeks. I now feel like I'm dying. However, devoted as I am to you lovelies, I wrapped myself in a blanket, headed to my home office, made some headway in a box of cold pills, blew through (literally) an entire box of tissue, and this is what I came up with!_

 _I hope you enjoy and promise that chapter 5 will be coming this week, providing my wonderful beta (la-kat-noir) doesn't get slammed at work!_

 _ **Also** , thank you everyone for the kind reviews! Like I mentioned before, this is the first story that I've written and to be quite honest, I didn't think anyone would read it. I enjoy being proven wrong in this instance! _

/*\ /*\ /*\

Bella woke when Charlie's alarm went off at 8 o'clock Sunday morning. She took a few minutes to stretch her arms and legs, letting the events from the night prior wash over her. Having expected a potential follow-up interaction with Jasper of some kind, the memories flowed more easily than the morning before.

Briefly overcome with emotion, her eyes filled with tears; it had been so long since she'd been able to interact with any other being while shifted. Animals tended to shy away, sensing something foreign within her. For the first time since her mother's passing, Bella had actually _enjoyed_ her shift. Having someone to play with had left the girl feeling more calm and collected than she had in a long time.

After her emotional moment subsided, Bella pulled back the covers and got up to pick out a comfortable outfit. Knowing Charlie would take another 30 minutes or so, thanks to his liberal use of the snooze button, she headed to the bathroom for a quick shower so she could wash bits of tree sap out of her hair. When she finished, Bella set out for the kitchen and spent the next 15 minutes preparing her favorite breakfast recipe; a baked apple pancake, also known as a dutch baby.

By the time Charlie had showered and come down the stairs, the sweet aroma of apples and warm cinnamon had filled the house. "It smells absolutely amazing down here, Bells! What are you whipping up?"

"It's called a dutch baby. You saute apples in butter with some cinnamon and nutmeg, and then, while the pan is hot, you pour the batter in and finish it off in the oven," Bella explained happily. "When it's done, it puffs up! You'll see in about 3 minutes."

"Where did you learn to make something like that?" Charlie asked with genuine interest. "Your mom wasn't exactly skilled in the kitchen, as far as I remember."

"You remember correctly," Bella answered with a soft laugh. "That didn't change until I was 11 or so. Aunt Lottie went on this _huge_ rant at mom because she had managed to burn some boxed mac and cheese. Lottie went on and on about how she couldn't always be there to help and somehow their 45 minute argument turned into this plan to sign us up for mother-daughter cooking lessons!" Bella explained, reminiscing. "We learned the basics, and even though I was still a bit young, I got to help a lot. Over time, we started picking out recipes we wanted to try and our cooking abilities grew from there."

Bella opened the oven, grabbed a hot pad, pulled the cast iron skillet from the oven, and set it gently on the stove top. "Take a look at this, dad!" The girl directed, eager to share in the culinary excitement she had grown with her mother, with her father.

"It looks incredible! You were right about it puffing up. Do you want some coffee with it?" Charlie reached into the cupboard to pull down the coffee beans. "That, _I_ know how to make," Charlie added somewhat sheepishly.

"I will definitely be needing coffee. I decided I'm going to get my laundry done _and_ finish 'Wuthering Heights' today, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Well, I certainly hope it isn't the last thing you ever do, Bella."

Bella groaned dramatically, "Really? Haven't you grown out of dad jokes?"

"Hmm, not quite yet, I don't think," he pretended to consider her question.

"I swear, I can't take you anywhere," Bella muttered darkly, though her grin betrayed her. It felt good to joke with her father.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Charlie noted after grinding the coffee beans and plopping a filter into the coffee maker.

"I suppose I am," she answered without having to think about it. "After making it through the first week, I'm feeling hopeful that this next one will be easier, if not more familiar." Bella viewed her upcoming school week with more confidence than she had the previous. "At least I know I'll have friends to sit with at lunch."

Charlie hit the brew button on the coffee maker and turned to face her. "I'm really glad to hear that, Bells. Maybe this weekend you can do something with those two?"

 _He sure is set on me hanging out with my friends,_ Bella observed. "Yeah, I figured I would ask the girls if they want to do anything that doesn't revolve around going to Port Angeles over lunch tomorrow."

"That's a good idea," Charlie answered as he pulled two mugs out of the cupboard. He poured them both some freshly brewed coffee while Bella dished their plates up. The two of them took their places at the small kitchen table, and fixed up their coffees; Charlie poured a dash of french vanilla creamer and dropped one sugar cube into his mug, while Bella opted for a much larger splash of vanilla caramel creamer and selected two sugar cubes for her own.

Aside from a, "This is fantastic!" from Charlie through a mouthful of pancake, the two ate in companionable silence, sipping on their coffees and trading pages from the Sunday edition of the Forks Forum.

Snagging the front page from his discard pile, Bella was sad to see that Charlie hadn't been exaggerating or blowing the situation in Port Angeles out of proportion. The headlining article detailed the lives of the 12 people that had been reported as missing as far back as September.

"...Authorities could not be reached for comment at the time of this printing, however, popular public theories range from animal attacks, spurred on by recent wolf sightings, to the possibility of sex-trafficking."

No one over the age of 30 had been taken, all women, save for two of them. Bella's mental hackles rose, causing the hair on her arms to stand on edge. _What the hell is going on out here? This isn't the same old, boring Forks I remember._

Bella set the paper down, feeling disheartened, and studied her father. Dark crescents had formed under his eyes and the corners of his lips were turned down, ever so slightly. _He looks tired,_ she realized. _Charlie probably hasn't been getting enough sleep, even with going to bed early. I'm sure he's exhausted from these cases._

Before she could be caught staring, Bella stood to clear the dishes and put the leftovers away. The plates had been washed and rinsed by the time Charlie finished the paper and his coffee. "Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious."

"No problem, dad. I know you like apple pie and this recipe was about as close to dessert as breakfast can get."

Charlie chuckled in response and headed back to the table. "You done with the paper?"

"Yeah, thanks. Are you heading out soon?"

"I think so. It's getting on 10 o'clock now and by the time I get there it'll be 10:30. That's around when Harry was expecting Billy and Jacob. You remember Jacob Black, don't you?"

"I think so...we used to play on the beach?" Bella asked uncertainly.

"That's right. Anyways, Jacob will be there today. You want me to say hello for you?"

"Uh, sure, Ch-dad," Bella answered awkwardly.

"Sorry, I might be overstepping, I just don't want you to be lonely here. I want you to make friends and be happy here."

Bella could only nod for a moment, emotion pricking at the backs of her eyes. "Thanks dad, that means a lot to me." She picked at her nail beds, unable to meet his eyes. "I think things are going to be okay here," she tried to reassure him.

"I hope so, honey. Anyways, I have to get going. You have a nice day and if you need me, I left Harry's number on the fridge and you should have my cell number programmed in yours."

 _You can give the cop a day off but you can't take the cop out of a father,_ Bella thought with a grin. "Thanks, dad. I'll see you tonight."

The sound of Charlie's car pulling out of the driveway filled her sensitive ears as Bella finished cleaning the kitchen. Noting the cloud cover outside, she heaved a sigh and mentally prepared herself for a rainy evening. Deciding to make the best of the afternoon, she settled in on the couch with a cozy blanket and her book.

/*\ /*\ /*\

As Bella had predicted, the day passed by uneventfully. She had finally finished "Wuthering Heights" sometime in the afternoon and got a start on "Pride and Prejudice," her second favorite book. There was just something in the way that Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy verbally sparred that thrilled Bella. Granted, Mr. Darcy certainly had his flaws, particularly in the way he had treated Elizabeth in the beginning, she thought that the story did a good job of representing two very different people from separate and distinct backgrounds coming together and compromising to make the love they had work.

Around dinner time, Bella pulled the remaining fish and fries from the fridge and decided to heat them up in the oven to avoid making the breading soggy. Having spent the afternoon absorbed in her books, she hadn't had time to worry about Jasper or the Cullens all day. Waiting for her dinner, however, gave her plenty of time.

 _So, let's recap what what I've learned: Jasper is very, very strong. He's also playful. He doesn't seem to want to harm me. He knows that shifters exist, but, in turn, I know that whatever he is, exists. Unfortunately, there is only one of me and potentially five of them, at least that I know. I wonder if the doctor and his wife know what their adopted children are. And that brings us to...what the hell are they?_

Bella couldn't come up with any supernatural creatures that encompassed the criteria of fast, excellent hearing, and rock hard flesh. _Beautiful, too,_ her brain added. _Oh, yes, they're all lovely, can't forget that,_ she rolled her eyes sarcastically at her own observation.

 _He seemed to want me to come back tonight. Maybe he's lonely too, though that would be hard to believe, considering he has such a large family. Unless Edward isn't back from wherever. Maybe that's what is bugging him. Jessica had said that Jasper and Rosalie had been annoyed by his leaving. I suppose it isn't any of my business, though._

Bella sighed and rubbed her temples, already frustrated with her lack of progress in the exploratory mission she had set out on the night before. _I wish there was a way to communicate,_ she thought bitterly. _Not un_ _less I want to shift back and expose my identity. Oh, and let's not forget, I'd be stark naked and completely vulnerable. What a great conversational ice breaker._

She wondered briefly if she could pack a change of clothes and carry them in some kind of bag, but tossed the idea out just as quickly. _Because, again, why would I expose my human identity. Shifter rule number one, don't expose the_ _ **existence**_ _of shifters. Rule number two, don't expose_ _ **yourself**_ _as a shifter. Rule three,_ _ **never**_ _harm a human, it's just not fair. That's it. Three cardinal rules and I have already broken one. Great job, Renee would be proud,_ Bella told herself sarcastically.

The timer for her food went off and saved Bella from spiraling down the path to self loathing. She removed her dinner from the oven and waited for it to cool before fixing herself a plate. She finished her meal quickly and washed the single plate, baking sheet, and fork she had used. A glance at the clock told her it was almost 7:15.

Heading to the living room, Bella flicked on the television and started stretching. _Stretching should almost be rule number four,_ she thought with a grimace. _I pity any shifter that attempts the change without warmed up muscles._

Charlie arrived home close to 8 and filled Bella in on the details of the games they had watched. Noticing her lack of interest, he smiled guiltily and changed the subject. "I heard from Jacob that some of the kids from the reservation are having a bonfire this coming Saturday evening. I was told that you and your school friends would be welcome to join. 'The more the merrier, just bring your own marshmallows,' was the exact message."

Bella laughed, "Well, I think we can manage marshmallows. I'll talk to Angela and Jess tomorrow and let you know what they said."

"Good. Now, I hate to rush off to bed when I just got home, but I have to be to work at 5 tomorrow morning."

"Why so early?" Bella asked with wide eyed surprise. "I thought you guys had a morning staff?"

"We do, but Dawn won't be in tomorrow. She called me this afternoon to let me know her little boy is going to be home sick tomorrow and possibly Tuesday. I guess her husband is visiting his parents in Idaho."

"That's too bad. I hope her boy feels better soon."

"Me too, Bells. As much as I don't mind covering, I prefer _waking up_ at 5, not _getting to_ work at 5."

"No kidding. Well, sleep tight and have a good day tomorrow."

"You too."

Charlie trudged up the stairs, leaving Bella alone with nothing but her thoughts and the television. She changed the channel to a mindless sitcom and waited another 45 minutes before heading up the stairs to give her father time to get settled and fall asleep.

She proceeded through her normal nightly routine – wash face, moisturize, brush teeth, get in bed,and wait for the house to fall silent aside from Charlie's deep sleep breathing. After another 30 minutes of pretending to fall asleep for good measure, Bella pulled back her covers and slipped silently from her bed. She locked her door in the event Charlie were to get up in the night and check on her to find she wasn't there. Finally, after propping up the window, she removed her clothing, and flew out the window.

/*\ /*\ /*\

The seemingly relentless rain had halted earlier in the evening, clouds parting here and there to allow shafts of silver moonlight to spread across the meadow below. Waiting dead center, waves of hair glowing around his head like a halo, stood Bella's newest friend.

Showing off just a bit, Bella made her descent, landing smoothly in a deep bow. She stood fluidly, transforming into a snowy fox as she did. _And Isabella Swan earns a perfect 10 for her flawless transition,_ she thought, letting out a tiny yip of excitement.

"Impressive," Jasper remarked. "I'm not sure I'd feel right about tackling a fox, though. Doesn't seem right, does it?"

Bella huffed grumpily and suddenly barked out a laugh. She shifted into very large white tiger, lips curling back from her sharp teeth in a mock grin as she whipped her tail back and forth playfully. Jasper stood in awe of her once more, eyes wide with shock before grinning at her. "Very, very impressive. Are you ready?" he asked, spreading his legs into attack stance.

Bella charged him in acknowledgment and thus, the two started their game. He dodged right as she neared, causing the tiger to swing around on the defensive. Unfortunately, with the new distribution of bulk, she wasn't as quick as she would have liked as Jasper started in on his own attack. Instead of coming at her head on the way she assumed he would, Jasper launched himself into the air and landed behind her. With inhuman speed, his arms were close to encircling her neck.

Frustrated, and not about to be outdone on round one, Bella decided that shifting mid-fight wouldn't exactly be against the spirit of their game, considering they had not set limits or rules. Her split second decision had her scrambling around on the ground as a mouse a fraction of a second later. She darted around the clearing, leaving Jasper to dive at her repeatedly, always failing to grab her.

She finally transformed into her most comfortable form, the mountain lion, and faced her opponent once more.

"Your speed is something else," Jasper noted with a nod of approval. He grinned deviously and added, "Almost as fast as me."

Bella blinked and missed it. She felt a cold grip under her front arms - the mountain lion equivalent to armpits - and was twisted and flipped, somehow gently, onto her back. Jasper held her front paws together, waiting for her to submit. "But not quite as fast," he boasted cheekily.

Bella swung her hind legs up and over his head and used her back paws to launch him off of her and into the treeline. Had he seen it coming, she was sure that would have never worked. Having fallen to his attack, she could feel the restraint he had used on his own strength. Panting from the effort she had exerted, she raised one paw as the universal show for a time out while Jasper righted himself.

Jasper sat down a few feet across from her so she could compose herself. "You're pretty strong too," he offered as he looked down at his now shredded t-shirt.

Bella gasped and trotted over to him, nudging his hands out of the way with her nose so she could inspect him for marks. There were none, however, which was extremely puzzling. She sat back and whined softly in concern, studying his face.

"No, you didn't break the skin."

She raised a furry brow in response, still skeptical.

He sighed softly and hesitantly moved to take off his shirt. Entranced, Bella couldn't look away. Random swirling patterns, thick in some places, splattered in others, dotted his arms, chest, neck and torso. The markings became more clear as a break in the clouds allowed moonlight to spill onto the meadow once more. Moments passed and she finally sucked in a breath she had been holding. Jasper had been absolutely ravaged. More than once.

Her eyes glossed over with tears as she leaned in to confirm her fears. Jasper shifted away, almost defensively, causing the girl to realize how close she had gotten. Her gaze met his and they studied one another for what felt like a long time. Gauging from his expression, Jasper was feeling uneasy, perhaps unsure of what she might think or how she would react.

Bella lowered her head to indicate she wasn't going to hurt him, then proceeded to rub her face along his shoulder, the feline seal of approval. He slowly raised one hand in response, giving her time to pull away if she needed to. When she didn't, he offered his fingers for her to nuzzle against. Bella did so, purring contentedly as he rubbed her cheeks and head.

"You're something else," he whispered softly into the night air.

She pulled back to read his expression, not sure what he was referring to.

"Most beings would have been terrified or taken it as a threat and reacted aggressively."

Bella paused for a moment and sat down more closely than she had been previously before, raising her shoulders in a shrug to answer him.

Jasper smiled warmly at her, his eyes softening as he relaxed back onto his elbows. Studying the night sky, he abruptly changed the subject. "You ever wonder what's up there?"

She took a moment to glance upwards as well. _If creatures like us can exist, I wonder what else could._ Gesturing her paw back and forth between them a few times, then pointing up, she hoped her message was conveyed.

"Exactly. If you and I can exist alongside the human race, there is no way we are the only beings in the universe."

Bella huffed in agreement and turned her attention skywards. The pair laid sprawled out, cold stone against fuzzy warmth, in companionable silence until she remembered that sleep would be helpful if she wanted to stay awake in school the next morning. She sat and nudged her face against his watch to get his attention.

Taking the hint, Jasper raised his wrist to check the time for her. "It is now midnight. You need to head home, Cinderella?"

She snorted at the nickname and rubbed her cheek along his shoulder as a goodbye.

"See you again tomorrow?"

Bella nodded in the affirmative and shifted into a dark brown hawk. With a final wave of one wing, she took to the sky to go home. _I certainly have a lot to think about._


	5. Chapter 5

Bella woke to a brief flash of sunlight across her face before the warmth was swallowed up by the nearly omnipresent cloud cover. She groaned in frustration, stretching her arms outwards and flexing her fingers. A glance at her clock told her she had beaten the alarm by a solid 15 minutes. Realizing that trying to fall asleep again would be pointless, she stiffly pulled back her covers and sat at the edge of her bed. She ran her hands through her tangled hair and pulled a piece of grass from a snarl near her ends.

 _Oh, right, I was laying in the grass...with Jasper..._

Mortified as she remembered the events of the night previous, the messy-haired girl covered her face.

 _I nuzzled into him like a damn house cat! What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

Her expression shifted from embarrassed to horrified as she remembered what exactly had led up to that move on her part. _He took off his shirt and the scars-_ Bella couldn't think of a time she had ever feared for a person's safety and emotional well-being more. _What happened to you, Jasper? Who could do that to someone as strong as you?_

The pain she felt for her new friend was quickly replaced with rage. _**I will slaughter the person or people responsible! I'll tear them limb from limb and dance on their graves**_ _. Whoa, girl. What? I mean, yes, but damn. That's a little forward. Where the hell did that come from?_

Bella tried to identify what she was feeling. _**Possessive; he is ours,**_ her brain suggested after a few moments. _Perhaps, due to the nature of felines, and it being a mere 16 hours until the actual full moon, I'm feeling a little more animalistic,_ she reasoned. _Yeah, that's it. I've become territorial over the first friend that I share my secret with, that's all._

 _If you can call him a friend,_ the insecure side of her tacked on. _Hey, traitor, that's not nice. Let's not self-deprecate today. He might not know who I am, but he clearly enjoys our time together. I'd say that makes us semi-friends. Or at least on the way to being friends._

She sighed and decided that arguing with herself wasn't going to solve anything. _Take a nice, hot shower and get through today. Don't let anyone under your skin. Calm thoughts._ _ **Definitely**_ _don't think about Jasper with his shirt off...maybe make that a cold shower._

/*\ /*\ /*\

Bella was only three hours into her daily classes when she decided it would be better to speak as little as possible. In the first hour, she had snapped at Jessica for rejoicing that Edward Cullen was back in school. During her second period class, a well-meaning Mike Newton took far too long asking her to go to the movies sometime and received a brusque " **Not likely,** " from the animal pacing inside of her. "I don't date," she added to soften the blow.

 _Way to be diplomatic,_ she chided herself. _**WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON, ANYWAYS**_ _,_ the animal argued. _I'm just saying...it's a small town._ _ **YEAH, YEAH.**_

During her third period math class, Bella was selected to answer a question that she didn't know have the solution for. That alone wouldn't have been so bad, if Lauren hadn't used the slip up as a means to antagonize Bella and demean her intelligence. Before she had time to process Lauren's remarks, Bella's hands were shaking as her nails curled into claws, which she promptly hid in her sweater pockets.

 _Don't do this right now, girl. We're in a classroom full of children and you know the rules. Breathe in. Do it, breathe in._ Bella took a slow breath in. _That's it. You can do this. Breathe out and set your hands right._ She followed her own advice and ignored everything happening around her from that point on. _Better to just not engage, probably._

/*\ /*\ /*\

Bella got through the next couple of hours, however, lunch presented a new set of problems. _You can't just sit alone this week. You should apologize to Jessica,_ she reminded herself. _Maybe tell her...OOH, tell her it's your time of the month. I mean, she'll get it in a way that makes sense to her and you wouldn't_ _ **actually**_ _be lying, right?_

It wasn't a bad idea. Bella walked slowly over to where Jessica and Angela were sitting and waited nervously for them to notice her.

"Hey, Jess," Bella said to open the conversation when the other girl didn't look up.

"Oh, are you talking to me now?" the girl asked, sounding angry as well as hurt.

"I, well, yes-I'm so sorry I snapped at you earlier. I know it's not a good excuse or anything, but it's kind of my time of the month and I'm just **so** annoyed by every little thing," she explained guiltily.

Jessica raised her eyebrows in realization and responded with an "Oh!" before making a motion that Bella should sit. "That makes a lot more sense actually. I thought you were annoyed that I was talking about the Cullens which didn't make any sense, considering how much we talked about them last week."

Bella blushed deeply as the girl's words reached the Cullen table off in the distance behind her. _Awesome, thanks, Jess._ "You make it sound like we have nothing better to talk about," she covered with a laugh.

"Well, do we? I mean, this is Forks. Edward being back is the biggest bit of news we've had in a while."

"I don't know, maybe missing people should rate higher on your list of news."

Jessica looked at Bella with narrowed eyes, causing the girl to backtrack slightly.

"Sorry, irritable again. I'm just tired of hearing about Edward Cullen," Bella rolled her eyes for emphasis. "He actually kind of rubbed me the wrong way on my first day. Then he acted like nothing happened. I'm not into feeling uncomfortable then having it covered with pleasantries about the weather, I guess."

Even from across the cafeteria, Bella could hear a snort from the largest Cullen. She risked a glance and saw Edward staring straight at her in anger. _Whatever. Dick._

She easily broke free from his gaze and moved on to Rosalie, who was smirking at Emmett, sharing in his amusement. Next, her eyes slid to Alice who appearing to be saying something to Edward. Last, but not least, she studied Jasper who was, for once, not staring at her, but at Edward, his mouth set into a grim line. _He looks so mad. I wonder what is being said at their table._

She shrugged it off and worked on the sandwich and carrot sticks she had packed. "So, not to just change the subject, but I was wondering if you two ever go down to the beach on the Quileute reservation. An old friend invited me to a bonfire on Saturday and said that anyone that wants to come can join in. I was thinking I'd get stuff for s'mores Friday night and maybe we can get a group to pitch in for hotdogs and buns or something?"

"That sounds like fun!" Jessica bubbled excitedly. "I definitely want to go to Port Angeles sometime but my mom was freaking out about the missing people, actually," she admitted with a frown. "We would have needed parental supervision, I was told, so this seems like a better option. Angela?"

"Oh, I'm in," the raven-haired girl answered quickly. "Who were you thinking of inviting?"

"That's easy. Anyone but Lauren," Jessica snorted through a mouthful of apple. Earning a questioning eyebrow quirk from Angela, she added, "Aside from the obvious, I heard from Tyler she was giving Bella a hard time today."

"She is not the most pleasant of people," Bella sniffed politely, reigning in her annoyance with the offender. "I would rather have the 30 miles of space between myself and her, if that's fine with you two."

"I'm not so sure she's even friends with us anymore. We kind of took a big stand, sitting with you after last week. So, no, Lauren isn't invited," Angela decided.

"Probably no Tyler then, either," Jessica added. "He would definitely try to bring Lauren. He's into her," she explained for Bella's benefit.

"Maybe Eric," Angela suggested slowly with a slight blush. "Oh, and Mike, I know you get along with them, too, Jess."

Jessica rolled her eyes, "Nice cover there, Ang. Yeah, we should invite those two."

"Just us five, then?" Bella asked to recap and spare Angela any further embarrassment for her crush.

"Unless you wanted to ask your favorite Cullen?"

"I am not going to ask Jasper to a bonfire! I hardly know him," Bella protested quickly with an involuntary glance to their table, confirming that he was watching the scene unfold.

"Um, Bella. I was making a sarcastic joke about inviting Edward, who is your least favorite. Is there something you need to share with the class?" Jessica and Angela leaned in simultaneously, clearly waiting for Bella to dish.

"Oh, my god. You two are impossible," Bella deflected before munching her last carrot stick. "Anyways, I wanted to read before class so I'm going to head out now. We should pool our resources Friday after school and go shopping for the bonfire. See you guys later," she finished without giving them a chance to interrogate her further.

"Sure, Bella. But you can't run forever! We'll have to talk about your attraction to Jasper at some point," Jessica answered her in a singsong voice.

Bella groaned internally, though, it wasn't like Jasper didn't know what she thought. Just last week, she had called him delectable, and with that hearing of theirs, none of the Cullens could have missed it. Talking about her physical attraction was one thing, but sharing about the friendship that was budding between the two of them, wasn't something she could tell either of them about.

" _Hey, guys, so once a month for about a week I can become any animal and run around in the moonlight! Did I mention Jasper isn't human either and we've been bonding by rough housing?" There's no way that conversation could go wrong for me!_ Bella imagined with sarcasm. _No, Jasper and I will definitely need to be kept our own little secret for a while._

Bella was on auto pilot as she emptied her garbage, stored her lunchbox in her locker and sat in the hallway outside of her next class to read. _Tonight can't come fast enough._

/*\ /*\ /*\

 _Six classes down, one remaining_ , Bella reminded herself as inched her way down the crowded hall to Biology. Rounding the corner, she came to a dead stop. Standing to the right of the door was a very frustrated looking Jasper and a petulant looking Edward. Stepping back slightly, she stood leaning next to the corner facing away from the duo, and pretended to rifle through her bag. She didn't have to get any closer, as her shifter hearing was at its peak, being as the night would bring the full moon herself.

"...think you should really consider backing off or leaving entirely. If you can't get it together and control yourself, I will end you," Jasper's low voice warned Edward.

"What makes you think you have the _right_ to be so defensive about this? She's _my_ singer" the copper haired boy goaded with a dark smirk.

"Don't test me, Fuckward," Jasper growled back. "You might have everyone else fooled, but you know that I know better. I know you're lying and I will do everything in my power to make sure whatever twisted plan you have cooked up doesn't come to fruition."

Edward wore a mock innocent expression when he answered Jasper. "Oh, I'm sure that I have no idea what you mean, brother! All I want is to be happy here in this _wonderful_ little town."

Jasper's eyes narrowed, "Fine, if you want to play it this way, so be it, but watch your back and leave _her_ out of it." With that, the blonde boy turned left and headed to his own classroom, shoving Edward into the Biology classroom as he went.

Bella stood in the hallway, not sure if she should go to class or ditch. She needed to process what she had just witnessed but she also needed to not get detention and skipping class would certainly merit punishable action.

Deciding that going to Biology but letting Mr. Murdoch know she wasn't feeling well and would be in the bathroom for a while would be a nice compromise. Bella didn't even bother looking at her table partner, just set her bag down and headed for her teacher to acquire a bathroom pass.

Two minutes later, she was in the bathroom with a pass and leaning against a wall, eyes closed as she went over what she had heard.

 _Firstly, Jasper truly is a wordsmith, crafting a nickname like Fuckward,_ Bella thought with an evil grin. _On a serious note, though, who exactly were they talking about?_ She frowned, taking her time to analyze the conversation. _They know some kind of singing woman and are fighting over her?_ Bella's jealousy spiked, cementing her earlier realization that she was feeling territorial over Jasper.

All in all, the conversation had _felt_ more unsettling than the words themselves had sounded. The underlying emotional current had been formed by Jasper's need to protect the singer and Edward's clear want to dominate whatever the situation was. Bella sighed in frustration, wishing she had some context, or some verbal clue that would help her understand. She went over the incident in her head one more time; _there's nothing helpful._

Bella poked her head out of the bathroom to peek at the decades old analog clock mounted on the wall in the hall. She had another 30 minutes until she would be done for the day. Sighing, she washed her hands and splashed water on her face to revitalize herself, and headed back to class.

She silently took her seat next to Edward and allowed her waves of dark hair to separate them as she had the week previously, hoping he'd take the hint and not speak to her. Luckily, it was a movie day in class and she was spared until the last 5 minutes or so.

"Not feeling well?" Edward asked softly after the lights had been turned back on and the class erupted into conversations of their own.

Annoyed, she answered only somewhat sarcastically, "No, I just wanted to hang out in the bathroom."

Edward raised his eyebrows in response but didn't look away. "My apologies, I didn't mean to pry." He didn't seem sorry at all.

Bella said nothing and grabbed her backpack so she could leave the class as soon as it finished.

"A little on edge, are we?" the boy asked her snidely.

"I just want to get home. I have things to do this evening," Bella responded simply.

"I see," was his only reply.

The final bell rang, just as Edward said, "Hang on a sec, would you?"

Bella was already out of her seat, however, and dashing for the door. Pretending she hadn't heard him at all, she made her way outside. Cutting across the common space diagonally instead of sticking to the sidewalk, she managed to put a decent amount of distance between herself and school. Despite her speed allowing her to bypass the sudden crowding of students in the hall, Edward managed to catch up to her and had successfully backed her into a corner of sorts.

"Hey, didn't you hear me? I asked you to wait," he very nearly snarled at her.

The animal inside of her was seeing red, rising to the challenge immediately, instead of allowing her to answer calmly. "Oh, I heard you. I'm just not interested in anything you have to say."

In an instant, Edward's eyes had darkened in rage, his face contorting into an angry grimace. "What is your problem, Bella?"

"You are," she answered angrily. "Your inability to take a hint makes it clear that you're used to getting your way with people, but I'm not like that. I want you to leave me alone and quit staring at me all the time. It's exceptionally rude."

Laughing darkly, he stepped closer, invading her space further, causing the girl to shake with rage. "You're the exceptionally rude one," he retorted.

"You need to back the fuck off," she whispered darkly, not willing to take a step back herself.

"Or what?" he mocked her with a twisted grin.

"I'll make you," Bella hissed in reply as she felt the animal coming to the surface.

"Is there a problem over here?" came a clear voice behind her. _It's Jasper, thank god._

"Someone can't take a hint," Bella answered while Edward simultaneously replied "Mind your own business, Monster."

"Yeah, I don't think so, Edward," Jasper laughed. "Hey, Em, why don't you escort our little bro to the car."

Edward growled in anger as Emmett approached him. "Don't fucking touch me."

"Just walk to the car, then, Eddie," Emmett directed with a smile dazzling any bystanders. "I'd hate to embarrass you in front of our classmates, after all." It was very clearly a reminder that they were in a public space. Edward growled in response but walked in front of Emmett willingly a moment later.

Jasper tuned to Bella as the duo walked away, but froze as he took in her face. "Bella, are you okay? Your eyes look-" he was cut off from explaining whatever her eyes had looked like, by the sound of screeching tires on slick pavement. A moment later, there was a loud _crash,_ the sound of crunching metal and breaking glass filled the air. The commotion was followed by the screams of students that had lingered outside and witnessed the accident.

Swerving to avoid a rather obstinate looking Edward Cullen, Tyler Crowley had crashed into Bella's pickup truck. Eyes filling with tears, Bella ran towards the wreck with the other students. She rounded to the other side of the boy's van to check on Tyler. In the distance from where she came, she could see Jasper, Rosalie and Alice staring in horror at something over her shoulder.

Bella spun around in time to see Emmett dragging a crazed looking, jaw snapping, Edward to his Jeep. She glanced back to where Jasper and his sisters had been standing, and found the area emptied of all people. Turning back to Emmett, she saw Rosalie and Alice piling into Rosalie's car while Jasper hopped behind the wheel of the Jeep. Emmett was seated behind Edward, leaning over the seat to hold the snarling boy in. Both cars peeled out of the parking lot a moment later and had disappeared in the distance by the time teachers arrived on the scene.

Shaking, Bella stared at her truck and then back at Tyler. Blood was pouring down the boy's face in rivulets. Leaning weakly against her truck, Bella couldn't help but assess the damage to the driver's side and realized that her injuries would have been very serious, even fatal, if she had been in it.

/*\ /*\ /*\

Charlie had arrived on the scene and immediately panicked until he heard Bella shouting over the other students. After calling to have her truck towed, he drove his daughter home and reiterated the dangers of not paying attention to the road, even though it wasn't Bella that had been in an accident.

"Yeah, dad, I know."

"I mean, what was Tyler thinking?" her father asked angrily. "He could have seriously hurt someone. He could have hurt you, Bella!"

"Dad, I don't think it was his fault and he didn't even hurt me. I promise, I'm okay, I was over on the sidewalk when it happened."

"I know, Bells. It just scared me, seeing your truck like that and knowing you could have been inside," he explained, voice thick with emotion. He cleared his throat, "Speaking of your truck, the tow should be bringing it by in a few hours. We're going to have to call around for mechanic, someone that does extensive body work like that for a reasonable rate. Until then, you'll have to be dropped off by me." He caught the grimace on her face as the two exited the car and headed for the front door. "Sorry, kiddo."

"It's okay, I mean I appreciate you being able to take me to school. It's just, you know. Nothing says grand entrance like arriving in a police cruiser," Bella finished with a laugh. "Anyways, are you home for the night now?"

"I need to wrap up some paperwork about the incident and follow up with Tyler at the hospital, actually. Will you be okay here?"

"Oh my god, dad, I'll be fine! Just go finish up and I'll have dinner ready when you get home. How does baked mac and cheese sound?"

"Like heaven," Charlie beamed excitedly. "I was hoping that would be on the menu when I saw you had gotten _extra_ sharp white cheddar!"

"The sharper the better!" Bella agreed. "Alright, drive safe and I'll see you later, dad."

/*\ /*\ /*\

Thanks to the combination of his early morning and the cheesy-carby goodness that was currently digesting, Charlie went to bed at around 8 that evening, leaving Bella time to do her preparations. She laid back on the living room floor, having finished her warm up routine, and thought about Jasper Hale.

 _What had he been going to say? Did I just look worried? Or was there something more? Did he...recognize me?_ The questions swirled madly around Bella's brain, the pressure to shift and meet him increasing as each moment passed. It would be risky with Charlie having just laid down, but she _needed_ to shift.

Lost in her own thoughts, the sound of a deep snore from upstairs startled Bella, causing her to jump lightly and scan her surroundings for a threat. At the sound of a cough, followed by the groaning of Charlie's mattress, Bella determined her father was sleeping deeply enough.

She checked the lock on the front door and turned out the lights downstairs before, leaping soundlessly, she took the stairs to her bedroom two at a time. Shutting and locking her bedroom door, Bella proceeded to strip in record time and shifted into a sparrow before she remembered to prop her window open. She giggled quietly at her own excitement after she transformed back and set her book under the open frame.

Shaking with giddy energy, she stepped away from the window, so as not to draw any attention or be seen, shifted once more and flew out. Barely clearing the edge of the woods, she swooped to the forest floor and took on her mountain lion form.

Letting her excitement drive her, she darted through the trees along the now familiar trail that ended in what she had come to consider _their_ meadow. In a matter of minutes, record time thanks to her burst of speed, the mountain lion burst through the treeline and perched herself on the rock slab that slightly over hung the rest of the meadow to wait for her Jasper. She sat in absolute stillness, noting only the sound of scattering animals, most likely deer, about a mile away to the left and back through the trees.

A slight rustling of branches and leaves alerted her to his arrival and Bella gleefully turned to face the sound. The sight that met her eyes, however, had her recoiling nervously. A dark copper colored head of hair emerged from the woods as the thin, lanky body of Edward Cullen broke through the edge of the forest. Bella's lips curled back to display her teeth as an instinctive snarl ripped its way out of her mouth.

/*\ /*\ /*\

 _A/N: I know, I'm wicked! I would say I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm not._

 _Also, if you hadn't noticed, we've been dabbling in AU territory for a while and it's only going to spiral from here. If it isn't your cuppa, you can turn back now, I won't stop you!_

 _For those of you staying, I wanted to touch on the issue of Bella's scent! I've spent time reading all sorts of Twilight fics, and Bella's scent is dealt with quite differently in each. I want to tell you now, that I will absolutely be going outside the original story for this one. If you can guess what exactly she smells like, I will give you a sneak peek (two full days early!) to the next action-packed chapter! Good luck ;D_

 _AND THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS. They really and truly help me feel Jazzed (see what I did there?) about continuing this project!_

 _Also, sorry for any glaringly obvious errors! If something is just absolutely killing you, go ahead and PM me about it so I can fix it! This chapter has not been beta-ed as my second in command has a busy work week._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry for the upload and removal of this chapter yesterday! I initially shared an un-betaed doc before leaving town, only to have my beta pull trough. Due to traveling in areas without data, I couldn't access the doc to copy/paste. I decided pulling the chapter entirely would be a better idea. Sorry! All changes were phrasing or grammatical in nature, if you read yesterday, you don't need to re-read!  
_

/*\ /*\ /*\

" _..._ _A slight rustling of branches and leaves alerted her to his arrival and Bella gleefully turned to face the sound. The sight that met her eyes, however, had her recoiling nervously. A dark copper colored head of hair emerged from the woods as the thin, lanky body of Edward Cullen broke through the edge of the forest. Bella's lips curled back to display her teeth as an instinctive snarl ripped its way out of her mouth._ _"_

In a fraction of a second, Bella analyzed his stance and build, realizing she'd never be able to outrun Edward the way she had Jasper. Without breaking his gaze, she noted him lean in to charge her. Bella feigned to her right as Edward leaped into the air. She briefly gauged his speed and trajectory, dodging full left once he hit the descent portion of his attack.

His force upon impact shattered the rocks Bella had occupied not 2 seconds before. As he whipped around to face her, a snarl of his own erupted from his chest and rage rolled off of him in waves. For a single second, she hesitated in her fear, allowing him the time he needed to launch himself at her again.

Terrified, she tried again to dodge his attack, turning right this time to avoid him. Unfortunately, that measly second had cost Bella. Edward's arms reached to encircle her head and, horrified, she realized he was going to break her neck.

Letting panic and instinct drive her, she shifted yet again, shrinking away from his hands as she became a barred owl. The shock of watching one animal become another right in front of his eyes must have overtaken Edward, as Bella managed to flap away, crossing the meadow diagonally but had only gotten halfway across when he jumped high into the air after her.

Gripping her left wing, Edward dragged Bella back to the ground as she shrieked in protest. The force of the change in direction in conjunction with the pressure he was applying filled her sensitive ears with the snapping of bones breaking. Her struggles ceased immediately, as the meadow filled with only the sound of her soft hooting, a pleading sound.

Edward snarled angrily at the pathetic owl in his hands until eventually words formed. "What the hell are you?" He roared at her before leaning forward to snap at her, spittle flying through the air to land on her face. The threat of death overtook her and Bella could make no sound.

The ringing silence gave way to the sound of many things running through the woods at once, towards the meadow. Bella flicked her eyes towards the growing commotion of breaking branches and the pounding of feet on the ground. Edward didn't seem to notice the approach of the intruders, however, and took the roll of her eyes away from his face as a refusal to answer, not that she even could in this form, He proceeded to squeeze her, making it difficult for Bella to breathe and causing the pain in her left wing to spike.

 _This is it, I'm going to die._

The thundering of footsteps filled her ears, followed shortly by the sound of the runners breaking through the trees. Before even another moment could pass, a silver blur darted towards the boy and the owl.

 _He came! And are those-_

The imminent impact caused Edward to release Bella from his grip to better defend himself. She dropped to the ground in an undignified heap but luckily, wasn't injured any further. Able to breathe again, the owl's chest rose and fell quickly in what was surely an avian equivalent to hyperventilation.

The clashing of the two bodies sounded like rocks slamming together; a two man avalanche. Bella's sharp eyes darted to the trees and noted Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and two others she didn't recognize. They watched, frozen in horror as brother fought with brother in the meadow before them.

Instincts screaming at her, the owl stumbled away from the newcomers while simultaneously keeping track of the fight between Jasper and Edward. Emmett, however, noticed her attempts and slowly walked towards her. Terrified she raised her right wing to cover her face backing away.

"Don't worry, little guy. I'm not going to hurt you," Emmett spoke in a low tone.

The fight came to an abrupt halt as Jasper pinned Edward to the ground, holding the younger boy's arms tightly behind his back.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Jasper snarled to Emmett, causing the bear of a man to stop his progress. "Do not touch a single feather on that owl's head."

"It's in pain, bro. It would be horrible to just leave it for some coyote to get. Breaking its neck would be so much quicker," Emmett answered his brother with a frown before turning back to Bella.

"NO!" Jasper roared, causing leaves on the trees around the clearing to shake. "That's not an owl! It's a person!"

Emmett looked at the owl and back to Jasper. "What have you been smoking? You didn't slip up and drink some stoned hikers did you?" The hulking man turned to Carlisle before continuing, "On that note, how many high humans would it take to get a vampire fucked up, Carlisle?"

Jasper growled in irritation and responded "I didn't slip up, you moron," before the man now identified as Carlisle could answer. "That owl is a shape shifter of some kind. I came across this being a few nights ago. I didn't share the information with the family as I tend to gather information better on my own. I was planning on meeting him or her this evening to try communicating again but apparently wasn't fast enough."

Watching the group communicate was surreal for Bella. On the one hand, being in pain and under threat was keeping her painfully aware of her surroundings, but on the other she was currently using a birds brain and couldn't seem to make sense of what she was hearing.

 _Did Emmett say vampire? Am I imagining things? Did they mean campfire? Is there a fire nearby? Are they camping?_

Struggling to remain conscious, she hooted softly to herself as she hopped lightly away from Emmett's still extended hand.

"Boys, we can talk about this at home," Carlisle interjected. "If that is a person, they are injured and as a doctor, I'd be remiss not to treat them. Do you think you could calm them down enough to change back, Jasper? Do you know if they even can?"

Still standing with his foot on Edward's back, arms pulled skyward, Jasper sighed. "I can try, but only if Eddie here can keep it the fuck together and not try to hurt it again."

"I was hunting!" Edward growled into the dirt his face was pressed against. "I didn't know it wasn't an animal! "

"Bullshit, fucker," Jasper snarled back. "In addition to the dishonesty coming off of you, I heard a mountain lion growling, followed by the hooting of an owl, meaning you saw the being shift and still decided that causing physical harm to a sentient being would be a good idea. What the fuck is wrong with you?" The blonde man twisted the arms he was holding even tighter.

Edward screamed into the dirt, his pain mixing with growing rage. "You can't keep me like this forever, asshole! Let me go!"

"Jasper," Carlisle started, "let Edward go."

Huffing angrily and with a clear reluctance, Jasper let go of the grip he had on Edward's arms and stepped to the side, still on alert. The boy pushed himself up from the ground and dusted his sweater off, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Edward, please either go to your room or take a good long walk. I don't care which it is, but do not approach this owl, -er, shifter again. You've injured them quite seriously and if they are indeed a person, I imagine yours is the last face they would want to see," Carlisle instructed calmly.

With another snarl and a parting glare at Bella, Edward darted off through the trees, the sound of destruction marking his progress as he headed away from the group. After a few moments, Alice pursued her brother more slowly, taking care to not anger him further with her presence.

Everyone else turned their attention back to Bella, and before Jasper could react poorly to his proximity, Emmett wisely backed off, whispering "I'm so sorry, little dude. I didn't know," apologetically at Bella as he went to stand near Rosalie again.

The grouping watched on as Jasper walked slowly towards the ruffled, broken owl before them. He sat down with a few feet remaining between them, allowing Bella the choice to close the distance.

"Hey there, friend. I don't know if you know what's going on or not, but my father over there, Carlisle, is a doctor. He wants to take a look at that wing but he's a people doctor. You're going to have to change back if you want us to help you," Jasper spoke soothingly to Bella.

She debated for only a moment. It wasn't like she had any other options. Emmett was right when he voiced concerns about another animal coming for her. Not only that, but if she shifted, alone, she'd never find her way back and would eventually die, naked and injured in the woods. Bobbing her head up and down, Bella hooted once softly and, with great effort, turned her back to the group, trusting that Jasper would protect her if necessary.

 _This is going to hurt like a bitch._

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Bella started her change, shifting more slowly than normal. A painful five seconds passed, in which time she grew human sized, her feet, legs and lower body appearing. The stunned silence behind her encouraged her to continue the painful process as her upper body, head and hair took place of the owl's head, feathers disappearing from her back as her right arm and hand emerged. All that remained was her left wing.

"You can do it," Jasper whispered softly from behind her.

Shaking in pain, Bella gritted her teeth and exerted a burst of energy. A single strangled scream broke free from her lips as her broken wing became broken arm, the pain causing her body to slump forward onto her knees. Tears streamed down her face as she refused to glance back through her hair at the family behind her.

"Rose, throw me your jacket," Jasper ordered.

"What?" Came a startled reply.

"Give me your jacket to cover her!" He practically shouted at his sister.

"I'm not going to let _you_ cover _her_ in this!" Rose practically shrieked. Before Jasper could even growl at her rudeness, Rosalie stepped towards them. "She's naked, Jasper! Let Esme cover her, not you," the blonde girl explained. "Idiot," she muttered, removing her long navy blue cardigan. "Here, Esme."

Jasper growled lowly in warning at Esme's approach but she ignored him. "Hello, there," she spoke quietly to the girl. "I'm Esme. Would it be okay for me to help you put this on, honey?"

Bella shuddered but nodded her head in the affirmative. Esme draped the cardigan around Bella's back then knelt in front of the girl to guide her good arm through the sleeve.

"I think it would be best if we kept your left arm out of the sleeve, but I'd like to cover it and tie this closed, sweetheart." Esme explained. "Can you bend your arm at the elbow and hold it to your chest, dear?"

Bella nodded again and complied, bending and tucking her arm with a small groan of pain that set Jasper to pacing behind them. "Don't hurt her!"

"I'm not, Jasper," Esme stated firmly as she tied the sash on the cardigan. "I'm trying to keep her arm from jangling around because we're going to have to run her to the house."

Bella started hyperventilating and the tears came more quickly than before. Dread at being touched by someone capable of a grip like Edward's filled every cell in her body.

"It's okay, honey," Esme whispered lowly. "We will be very careful. We just need to get you to our home so Carlisle can set your arm."

By this time, however, Bella was shaking her head back and forth and whispering, "No, no, no. Please don't touch me," through her sobbing.

Esme took a step back and looked to Carlisle, unsure of what to do next. Before he could make a decision, however, Jasper stepped forward. "Let me try," he begged softly, his previous order giving tone replaced by that of deep concern and longing to right the situation.

"You can try, son. If not…we'll try something else," Carlisle offered as Esme resumed her place by his side.

Nodding in confirmation, Jasper slowly made his way to stand in front of Bella, again leaving enough space in between them that she wouldn't immediately feel threatened by his presence.

Bella finally raised her chin from her knees and glanced up through lashes clumpy with tears. Recognition flashed across his face.

"Hey there, Bella," he whispered with a soft smile.

"Hi, Jasper," she mumbled, ducking her face again.

He grinned at her willingness to respond. "I thought there was something different about you! Especially when I saw your eyes today. Your pupils were elongated, almost feline, when Edward had you cornered. I just never imagined..."

Bella snorted. "No, I don't think anyone could ever imagine...this," she trailed off.

"Well, darlin'," Jasper started, "I suppose we all have our little secrets.

Bella broke into a small grin, despite the circumstances. "I don't think I've ever noticed your accent before."

Jasper was pleased to note her smile and happily let loose the reigns he normally held on his twang. "I've had a…while to work on it, but proud Texan, at your service, ma'am.

"Now, if you'll allow me, I'd like to scoop you up and carry you back to our home so the good doc can get you straightened out. Is that fine with you," he asked Bella with a friendly smile.

She took a deep breath and slowly nodded her consent before trying to arrange the cardigan so she would be adequately covered before standing. Bella was usually a little free when it came to nudity - it was just part of being a shifter and something you got used to - however, standing in the middle of nowhere after being injured by a member of a family that is currently trying to help you, doesn't typically leave one with a feeling of security.

Sensing her concerns, Jasper slowly reached out for her good arm and used his free hand to help her ensure she remained decent in front of his family.

"It's alright, Bella, I've got you," he reassured her as he pulled Bella to her feet. "Now, put your right arm around my neck and hang on tight while I swing your legs up, alright?"

She nodded and once Jasper leaned low enough, looped her arm around the back of his neck and clenched. When she was secured, he took his left arm and cradled it around her shoulders, then lowered his right to hoist her up from behind her knees. He then stood tall, successfully cradling Bella in his arms.

 _Oh, God. This is straight off of some trashy romance novel!_

Closing her eyes tightly to avoid gazing into the face of her rescuer, Bella turned her face more tightly to his chest, only to realize that could possibly be even more awkward. The only thing worse, she decided, would be if she were to react as if there was anything to be awkward about.

 _WHICH THERE ISN'T,_ Bella chided herself. _Get. A. Grip. This. Man? Vampire? Whatever. Is just taking you back to his home that he shares with...other vampires, because they feel responsible for your injury._

Oddly comforted by this thought, Bella relaxed a little in his arms before Jasper tapped her shoulder with a finger. "Hey. We're going to run now, but because you're hurting, I'm not going to go too fast. I recommend you keep your eyes closed because the motion could make you nauseated."

Bella nodded against his chest and stiffened in preparation as she gripped more tightly around his neck with her good arm. "Please don't drop me," Bella whispered into his hard chest.

Emmett chuckled at the girl's request. "I wouldn't dream of it," Jasper answered with a tiny squeeze to indicate how good of a grip he had before he took off through the trees. Carlisle and Esme overtook them to prepare for Bella while Rosalie and Emmett hung back to follow Jasper at his slower, more careful pace.

Bella had mentally prepared herself to feel her broken bones jostling against each other in her arm and hand, but was surprised to find that if not for the cool night breeze in her hair, she wouldn't have known they were moving at all.

It couldn't have been more than three minutes when Jasper tapped her again to indicate she could open her eyes. Turning away from Jasper's chest, she faced the direction they were headed to take in an extremely large, wooden and glass home, complete with wrap around porch and sitting areas.  
Jasper dashed lightly up a multitude of steps and through the already open doors.

If the outside of the house was beautiful, the inside was stunning. Warm light emitted from multiple sources, and a plush neutral beige carpet practically begged guests to take their shoes off to experience its inviting texture. Dark wood offered a contrast where the dining room met the living room and extended to the kitchen, only part of which she could see. Four puffy, emerald colored chairs were arranged in front of a massive corner unit bookshelf that extended from floor to ceiling and along the length of the inner walls.

 _This must be literature paradise._

She was brought back to reality as her arm throbbed in pain, causing her to gasp. "I guess the adrenaline has worn off," she offered as Jasper carried her quickly down a hall away from the kitchen.

"We're almost there, darlin'," Jasper murmured softly as they entered a large office, complete with examination table.

"Thank goodness. Too much longer and Dr. Cullen would have had to re-break the bones to set them." Bella whimpered as Jasper set her lightly on the table and took a few steps back.

As if on cue, the doctor entered the room from another door, arms loaded with supplies. "You must be an extraordinarily quick healer!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Is it because you are…whatever you are? And please, call me Carlisle."

Bella smiled at his enthusiasm and answered him as he laid out multiple temporary casts and arm slings of varying lengths. "Yes, I was told that quick healing was part of the shifter package. Which is nice if you're not being careful enough or get into some kind of territorial skirmish. I broke my ankle once. It took a bit less than a full day to heal completely after my mom set it."

Carlisle agreed, "That definitely makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint," and nodded thoughtfully. The doctor raised a portion of the table to her left to provide a surface to examine her arm on. "Now, Jasper, if you will, please leave the room so I can take a look at Isabella's arm."

Jasper froze, seemingly conflicted between staying to make sure Bella was okay and wanting to follow his father's orders.

Sensing his concern, Carlisle added, "She'll be fine, son. I just need to set the bones correctly before they heal too far along for me to do so."

Carlisle's words didn't seem to have any effect on Jasper, as he stayed rooted to the spot. Bella raised her eyes to meet his own steady golden gaze. "I'll be okay, Jasper. In the woods when Esme wanted to help me up, I think I was still in shock and was only okay with you carrying me because we'd met before and, well, you're the one that stopped him…" Bella trailed off, not wanting to rehash the nights events. Jasper's eyes darkened when reminded of his brother's actions. "I trust that Carlisle won't hurt me," she finished firmly.

Jasper blinked once, nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"It seems my son has taken a shining to you, Isabella," the doctor spoke softly while indicating she untie the cardigan and free her arm. "That doesn't typically happen with us being what we are."

"Just Bella, please," she paused and resituated the cardigan to keep herself covered. "Are you really vampires?" Bella asked him calmly while he examined her extended arm.

"Ah, I wondered if you had caught that. Indeed, we are." Carlisle reached for two syringes. "One of these is for pain, the other is a fast acting muscle relaxant to calm your muscles while I set the bones." Bella nodded in acknowledgment and looked away while he injected her.

"We don't normally reveal ourselves," Carlisle continued. "It is against our laws, actually. However, after discussing it with Esme, we think that you, of all people, would respect our secrecy as we would your own."

 _Score!_

"That definitely sounds fair to me," the girl agreed.

Carlisle helped the girl shift on the table, so that her arm was resting against the raised portion. "Now, this is going to hurt despite the painkillers I've given you, so I want you to take a deep breath in - now out - and," before he could finish his sentence, he had set the bone that had snapped between her elbow and wrist. That left just her broken pinky and ring fingers to contend with and after another second passed they had also been set.

Bella groaned in pain and the door burst open, revealing a panicked looking Jasper. "You're fast, doc. I didn't even see that coming," Bella muttered.

"I imagine that's due to the muscle relaxant as you seem to be able to interpret our speed. Or at least when you were in animal form you did," he amended. "Hello again, Jasper. As you can see, the young lady is quite alright. I just need to set her up in a removable cast and send her home with a sling for tomorrow...are you going to need a cover story for your father?"

Bella furrowed her brows in concentration, trying to remember Charlie's schedule, before she remembered her truck was out of commission. "Unfortunately, my truck got hit earlier this afternoon and Charlie will be taking me to school, so yes, I'll need a cover story."

Jasper frowned and stepped forward, "I can give you a ride tomorrow. It was Edward's fault that your car got hit anyways. He was trying to get away from Emmett when Tyler swerved to miss him."

"That's very kind of you," Bella remarked. "I can wear the sling to school tomorrow and have it off by the time he gets home, I'm sure. If not, I'll just say I slipped on ice. I used to be very clumsy so it's not a stretch. Do you have paper and a pen so I can leave Charlie a note about not taking me to school?"

"Perfect, it's settled then" Carlisle declared, doing up the velcro on her cast before turning to the door and saying, "Yes, come in Emmett."

The large man filled the door frame with his shoulders alone and ducked in carrying a bundle of fabric topped off with pen and paper, as requested. He flashed an embarrassed smile at Bella and set the bundle on a chair. "We figured since Alice is too short and Esme a little larger than you that you could just have some of Rose's clothes and roll the legs up, maybe. She tore the left arm off the sweater so your cast would fit. We couldn't find any shoes that would fit you, though."

Bella smiled gratefully at the hulking man with boyish features, "That was very thoughtful of you all, thank you."

"No worries! You can keep this stuff. Alice likes shopping for everyone so it's really no big deal," he grinned, happy that Bella seemed ready to move beyond their tense moment earlier.

Jasper visibly relaxed and ushered Emmett and Carlisle out the door with him so she could change in peace.

Bella set the pile of clothes to the side as she filled out a note for her dad.

 _Dad-_

 _After you went to bed, I got a text from a friend offering me a ride to school - don't worry about coming all the way back home to get me in the morning! See you at dinner,_

 _B_

Sorting through the pile, Bella was pleased to see a pair of leggings with the modified sweater so she wouldn't have to struggle with buttons or zippers. _Good thinking, Rosalie,_ Bella thought with relief.

Easing her cast arm through first, the rest of the sweater was pulled on with minimal effort. She stuffed the note into her pocket, then sat at the edge of the exam table, and shimmied first one leg through the leggings, then the other, careful not to jostle her arm against anything in the process. The socks proved a little more tricky but a full five minutes from the vampires leaving the room, Bella emerged, covered and grateful, from the office.

Jasper was waiting for her in the hallway, a frown settled on his face. "Are you in pain?" He asked her quietly.

"A little, Bella admitted. "The accelerated healing is great but that doesn't mean it hurts any less. It just hurts for less time." A few moments of awkward silence built between the two before she continued. Are you…okay," Bella asked weakly. "I mean - the fight. That was...intense."

Jasper laughed openly at her observation. "Honestly, that fight was nothing. I have a very vast experience compared to the rest of my family."

"Well, I'm sorry that you fought with your brother because of me," Bella frowned and looked at her feet.

"Bella! It's not your fault he attacked you. Even if he first came at you to hunt you, he should have known better than to physically harm you instead of trying to communicate with you," Jasper countered.

Bella stood awkwardly, fidgeting with the hem of the sweater, not really knowing what to say to this man. From the first day they met, he had given off the vibes of mild annoyance, not to mention the electric staredowns in the cafeteria. Accepting her and playing with her when she was in her shifter form was an entirely different kettle of fish. _How can I bridge the two sets of circumstances?_

"Look, it's getting a little late, why don't I drive you home," Jasper offered.

Bella smiled and, lifting her chocolate brown eyes to his butterscotch ones, nodded. "Thank you. I'd like that, Jasper."

Wasting no time, Jasper led her back through the house, out towards the large living room where Emmett was seated playing a video game, while Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle sat scattered throughout the living room, reading books. Carlisle and Esme stood as Bella and Jasper entered the room and approached them, eyes twinkling.

"Taking her home, son?" Carlisle asked politely.

"Yeah, it's pretty late and I'm hoping to get Bella home before her father notices her missing," Jasper answered.

"Well, it was very nice meeting you, despite the situation at hand, dear," Esme told Bella while extending her arms for a hug. "Don't you hesitate to visit just because one member of our family reacted poorly." Bella cautiously stepped into her embrace. "Carlisle and I will certainly be dealing with it when Edward comes home."

"It was nice meeting you as well. And you, Carlisle," at this, he extended his hand for a shake. "Thank you so much for fixing my arm."

"It was the least I could do, he answered, reaching into his pocket. "Here are a few painkillers. Take one before you go to bed, half when you wake up with your breakfast and the remaining half at lunch and I think you'll be good as new, come evening," the doctor instructed, slipping the pills into the sweater pocket where the sling was already folded up. "You should ice it as necessary, as well."

"Thanks again," Bella smiled and turned to the seated blonde, "and thanks, Rosalie, for the clothes."

"It's no big deal," the golden haired vampire answered with a nonchalant roll of her shoulders and a small smile in Bella's direction.

Emmett stood and extended his arms, "Do I get a hug too," he asked with puppy eyes.

Bella laughed at his reaction and leaned in for a hug. "Don't worry about it, big guy. I won't hold it against you," she answered his unspoken question.

"Good," he answered with a slight squeeze, "Because I want to come play tomorrow night too if you're up to it!"

"Sounds alright with me," Bella decided, with a glance at Jasper, wondering if he'd be willing to meet up at the meadow again.

"Well, if we're done, it's getting close to midnight and I'm thinking you should try to get some sleep tonight," Jasper interjected before they could get caught up in another conversation on their way out.

Bella nodded and followed Jasper out through the front door and with a whispered "Wait here a moment," he had disappeared. A few seconds later, Bella heard an engine roar to life and a black pickup pulled up along the front of the house. Another second later, Jasper was back at her side, "Is it okay if I carry you again? Otherwise you're going to get your socks wet."

"That would be fine, thank you," Bella said. Jasper took her right hand and wrapped it around the back of his neck once more but instead of carrying her bridal style, set his hands on either side of her waist and gently lifted her off the deck and whisked her to the truck, placing her inside.

Bella missed the pressure of his hands on her body but banished that thought quickly. _He just really wants to get me home. I'm sure he's honestly not thrilled with how things went tonight. He had to fight his brother for me! Behold, Isabella Swan: destroyer of families._

In a few short seconds, they were on their way, heater set to full blast. A few minutes passed before Bella broke the silence. "I really am sorry. I feel as though I've intruded on your life and mucked things up." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I would understand if you didn't want to meet tomorrow night, because of what happened," but even as she said it, tears rolled silently down her cheeks at the thought of losing her new friend.

Jasper pulled over and Bella realized they were just a little ways down from her house, a close enough distance to walk but not too close that the noise would alert Charlie.

"I will absolutely be there tomorrow night, Bella. You couldn't keep me away, _especially_ after tonight. I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened." Jasper reached out as though to wipe the stray tears that had fallen but stopped himself before he could touch her and looked away. "Please don't blame yourself," he whispered.

"I'll try," the girl offered.

Bella glanced at her house down the road and realized they had a problem. "Shit." She rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"What's wrong," Jasper asked in alarm.

"I just remembered that my only way in and out of the house during my shift is through my bedroom window, as a sparrow, which normally wouldn't be a problem except that I can't shift right now," Bella explained, gesturing with her broken arm. "I can't just walk through the front door. It's locked, my bedroom door is locked and...Charlie doesn't know."

Comprehension dawned on Jasper's face. "You got this from your mother?"

"Yes," Bella whispered.

"And she has passed away, meaning you have to shift alone."

"Correct. That's why it," her eyes filled with tears again, "why it was so nice when you were there. It was the most fun I've had since she died. Shifting without anyone else is a very lonely thing. Most animals shy away from us instinctively. So it's not like I could go make friends with the local wildlife population," she laughed at the mental image.

"I'm sorry you've been lonely, Bella. How often do you shift?"

"A couple of nights around the full moon. It isn't like fiction about werewolves or anything. It isn't out of my control, but if I don't do it, I get really irritable and restless. I have to burn that energy off. Renee - my mom - she could shift more frequently, an almost 20 day span. And she told me that her mom could shift at will but admitted new moons were the most difficult. I think it's an energy thing," Bella explained, glad to have someone not only interested but also not completely repulsed by this information.

"Do you have to wait for it to be night?"

"Not necessarily, it's just easier at night. Plus, less chances of discover - you never know who is watching during the day. Speaking of which, I have a few questions myself about vampires and your own exposure risks," Bella's eyes gleamed in excitement.

"Since you've been let in on the secret, I'll answer your questions to the best of my abilities. However, maybe they should wait until tomorrow," Jasper countered. "We still have to get you inside and sleeping before your father notices."

"Oh, yeah," Bella muttered, thoughts turning to figuring out a way in.

"I have a solution to your home access problem."

"Would you like to share it with the class, Mr. Hale," Bella teased.

"Whitlock."

"What's that?"

"My last name is Whitlock," Jasper clarified. "I haven't used it in a while. Due to one of the many unanswered vampire questions you probably have that can be explained tomorrow."

"Thank you for trusting me with your name," Bella beamed. "Now, solution, Mr. Whitlock?"

"I'm not sure you're going to like it, but I could jump with you in my arms the way we ran earlier, open your window more and slip us in," he explained with a quirk of his brow to indicate he wanted to know what she thought.

"That definitely beats breaking in on the ground level. Charlie is a deep sleeper but I'm not sure the sound of breaking glass is something a cop could easily ignore, even in sleep."

Jasper's quiet laugh filled the cabin of the truck and was a welcome change to his typically serious demeanor. "I suppose not. You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be to have a vampire sneak me through my second story bedroom window, yes," eliciting another chuckle from her new friend.

Jasper turned off his truck and flitted to the passenger side to help Bella down before swooping low to scoop her up again. Giving her a once over to make sure she was situated comfortably, he darted towards her home. In a blur of movements, she found herself flying through the air with the vampire and in one more flash, entering her bedroom window, oh so carefully.

"I didn't even see you open the window," Bella exclaimed softly as Jasper set her softly onto the floor.

"I didn't have to, it was already fully open." The next second, Jasper's nostrils were flaring and he crouched in front of Bella, a protective arm extended in front of her as he scanned her room. Motioning her to stay quiet, he darted silently to her closet then came back out, sniffed her doorknob and growled. In movements too quick to process, he had unlocked her door and stepped down the hall.

Bella stood shock still, not wanting to impede his progress. Taking a deep, steadying breath to clear her mind, the girl was able to smell what Jasper had more easily. It was the scent of the watcher in the woods. Extremely angry in addition to frightened, she whispered, "Please come back, Jasper."

Four seconds passed before he stood in front of her, bedroom door closed once more.

"This scent," she uttered lowly, "was in the woods last week. I sensed a presence but wasn't able to shift to...mark my territory. When I was about to shift, the smell was everywhere outside. What the hell is it and why is it in my home?"

"I know the scent and the intruder has left, however, I'm a little confused and this might take some talking through. You might be more comfortable sitting," he gestured to her bed and flitted to the window to close it to the night air.

Bella took a seat at the head of her bed and surrounded herself with pillows before pulling the blanket up around her lap. She pointed to the foot of her bed in offering to Jasper as she didn't have any chairs in her room. "I'd prefer to have this conversation from the same level, if it's alright with you? Standing over me this close to the full moon, discussing a home invasion while I'm injured is slightly intimidating, even if it is just you."

Jasper nodded and took a seat. "Okay, so, for starters, as I said, I know the scent. It's Edward's. I'm guessing in your panic you didn't get a good chance to identify it while he was hurting you." He gave her a moment to process the information before continuing, "However, and hear me out, I do not think the two incidents are related. I do not think he knows _you_ are the shifter. The only reason I say this, is that at the time he was ordered to leave, we didn't know you were the shifter either."

"What about my scent," Bella asked sullenly. "It's all over the house I'm sure."

Jasper grinned at her observation, "Oh, your scent is absolutely all over this house, but it's also in the woods, even in places you've never been."

Bella's brows furrowed, trying to make sense of his reply. Before she could ask, Jasper continued, "Your scent is like nothing I've ever encountered or heard of. You smell exactly like the outside. Cool, fresh and earthy with pine notes. Simple and complex. Either that or you have some built in shielding mechanism due to your altered genetics. It would be interesting to see if you smell any different around the new moon, though I doubt it."

Bella bubbled with excitement, "So even if he had smelled me in the meadow, he wouldn't connect the dots with the smell in my room, especially with my window having been open all night!"

"Bingo. In addition to this tidbit, you should know that in our family, Alice, Edward and myself are gifted. Not all vampires have a gift or ability, mind you. It's thought that we bring our strongest traits with us when we change.

"In my case, I was very charismatic growing up. I was in the army and climbed the ranks quickly. I became a Major at the age of 18. Now, as a vampire, I have the ability to feel and influence the emotions of those around me. Calm, fear, love, anger, happiness, fatigue and trust are the easiest. Any emotion, I can manipulate. That being said, before you ask, no, I have never influenced your emotions. Not only that, I find I can not read you accurately. You're a bit of a void. I have to rely on your body language and facial expressions to guess what you might be feeling."

Jasper gave Bella time to mull the new information over. Finally, she asked, "Is that why you...don't like me? Or, if I'm not being too presumptuous, didn't like me before?"

Jasper looked shocked. "I never didn't like you! I was confused by you. You're the first person I've ever met that I couldn't feel, in addition to not causing any bloodlust-er, hunger, due to your lack of scent. It was very disconcerting. I'm so sorry my curiosity came off as distaste."

Bella sighed in relief, "I'm glad to hear that. I couldn't imagine what I had done, other than tripping on you, that could have make you so cold to me as a person." Not wanting to revisit her first week in Forks with more pressing concerns, she continued, "What about Alice and Edward?"

"Their gifts also don't seem to function when it comes to you. Alice's past is a bit unknown, but we imagine she had her gift before she was changed. It's her story to tell in terms of details, but she has visions of the future. Though, nothing she sees is concrete. The future fluctuates as different decisions are made," Jasper explained. "When it comes to you and those involved with you, from how your first day would go, to the first night I saw you in the meadow, Alice saw nothing. This evening, however, she saw Edward disappear, probably when his path intersected yours, which is why we were following his trail to begin with."

"If I understand correctly, this could pose a problem if I hang around a lot. It would mean that if she were seeking the future as it pertains to your family, I would cause a…void, I believe you said earlier," Bella speculated.

"I hadn't thought of that, to be honest. But it's highly likely," Jasper pondered with a frown. "Though, again, her visions are never set in stone, so it isn't like we can rely on them as an absolute, anyways."

"Perhaps I should limit my interaction with your family," the girl offered somewhat sadly.

"We'll figure it out, but for now, I wouldn't go that far," Jasper mused. "It's something I'll bring up with Carlisle, though. Now, on to Edward's gift."

"What, does he have super stalking powers, Major Whitlock?"

"He wishes. Intel gathering, fighting and war strategy are more my expertise darlin'," he winked at Bella. "Anyways, Eddieboy must have been very perceptive to what others were thinking as he grew up and as such, he can now read minds. Any thought you're currently thinking. Over the decades-"

"Decades," Bella squeaked. "How old are you, Jasper? Unless that's rude."

"It's not rude, I don't think. I'm about 161 years old. I was born in 1844 and was 19 years old when I was turned. Meaning I was Major Whitlock in the _Civil War,"_ he paused to let that sink in. "Anyways, over the decades, I've learned how to keep my mind on what I'm doing when I'm around him, only reminiscing when I'm alone, avoiding thinking about private discussions and what not. If I can't focus on anything specific, I'll think about things that embarrass him, specifically so he can tune me out. He must think I'm depraved by now," Jasper laughed quietly.

"And he can't hear my thoughts? Just like Alice can't see me and you can't feel me? And back to your time in the Civil War, that's amazing!" Bella felt her excitement bubbling over.

"No, he can not hear your thoughts. Consider yourself very lucky. It's annoying as hell to have someone not only able to know what you are thinking inside of your own head, but top it off with a personality that doesn't mind projecting your personal, private thoughts to a room full of your family members."

Bella scrunched her face up. "I don't know how you could do it so long. I wouldn't have been able to."

"It's a long story and I'd be open to telling you more, but right now, you should take your painkiller. We can talk tomorrow after school, if you want," Jasper offered.

Bella reached into her pocket to find the pills only to look up and see Jasper was no longer sitting on her bed. A few seconds later, he was back in the room with a glass of water in hand. He extended it to Bella and watched her take a full tablet and smiled. "Do you need anything before I go? Ice or a cold pack for your arm?"

"I'm not sure we have any, to be honest."

Once again, Jasper was suddenly gone, her empty glass had vanished with him. A mere two seconds later he was back. "You were correct, sadly."

Bella sat back down on her bed and sighed. "It's not a big deal. I'll be healed up soon enough. I'd bet the bruises are mostly gone by now anyways."

Jasper scowled. "I still can't believe he did that," he hissed in anger before sitting on the edge of her bed again. "May I take a look and see how you're healing? It's been about an hour since Carlisle set it."

"I don't see why not," Bella agreed and stretched the cast arm towards him, allowing him to open first the velcro stability straps, then gently pull open the lining. For a moment, Jasper said nothing, frozen in place as he assessed the damage he brother had caused.

"Bella...how much pain are you in?"

She thought for a moment and shrugged, "It throbs off and on but for the most part, it's tolerable. Why?"

He didn't answer her for a moment and instead, ghosted his fingers above her skin, following a pattern of some kind. The cold from being even close to touching soothed muscles and skin she hadn't realized were aching, causing her to moan involuntarily. "That feels amazing, Jasper."

"Would it be okay if I touch you," he asked more softly than a whisper.

Bella thought for a moment. It was one thing to have someone assist you when you couldn't walk and quite another to trust someone near an injury. Even so, she wasn't feeling instinctively protective which would come quite naturally with the full moon being so close. Not only that, multiple times throughout the evening, even after the attack, he had left the decision to be touched up to her, even stopping himself from touching her face in the truck when it would have been natural to do so.

 _Jasper doesn't want to hurt me._ "Yes, I trust you."

Jasper lowered his finger tips the remaining half inch until they were skimming lightly along her arm, still tracing the patterns, a frown settled on his face.

Bella relaxed against her pillows, keeping her elbow propped up on a side pillow and nodded that he should continue. "You make a great ice pack," Bella offered with a grin.

Jasper lifted his eyes from her arm to her face and gave only the tiniest of smiles before turning his attention back to her arm.

Frowning at his silence, she asked, "Is it that bad? It's a little dark and I can't quite tell."

Jasper stopped his progress and ran his hands through his hair, settling them around his face before answering. "I-it," he paused. "It's badly bruised."

Bella frowned, debating turning on her lamp to see, "How badly?"

"The areas I've been touching...even though you were an owl at the time..." he had to stop speaking for a moment. "The bruises are shaped like his hand and fingers," Jasper choked out. "Seeing the damage it just - it makes me wish I _had_ ripped his arms off."

Bella sat up stiffly and reached her good arm towards her lamp, flicked it on, and surveyed the damage. She gasped in horror before turning the lamp right back off. They sat together in silence. Bella could feel Jasper was looking at her but couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, even in the dark. Her eyes welled with tears and she finally broke down.

Jasper scooted farther away from her. "Let it out, Bella. It's okay. You're going to be okay. Earlier you were in shock. You had handled it so well at the house, you did amazingly, but you're safe here and it's okay to cry."

Bella leaned back into her pillows, careful not to bump her arm, and turned onto her right side. After a moment of debate, she scooted herself to the edge of the mattress and patted the empty space next to her. "Please come touch my arm again. It really helped and I kind of feel like I need proximity right now. Unless my crying makes you uncomfortable."

"No, nothing like that," Jasper whispered soothingly. "I was worried you'd be afraid of me because a vampire hurt you..." he trailed off but accepted her offer of space on her bed, turning to face her and running his fingers along the bruises.

Bella snorted. "Hardly. I don't think you and Edward could be any more different." She sighed softly as her tears slowed and the panic passed. "I can't tell you how amazing that feels. Are you sure you aren't making me feel calm and a little happy?"

"I can assure you, I'm doing no such thing," Jasper murmured softly. "Are you feeling happy?"

"It's confusing, but yes, I think I am. Last week, I was the new girl in town with a bad reputation, paranoid about a stranger in the woods, stressing about shifting, not to mention lonely, like I said earlier. Now, even though the circumstances aren't ideal, I've met a _mostly_ nice family of supernatural beings that can understand to some extent how alienating it can be, having a secret like this."

"Speaking of the stranger in the woods, I'm going to add your woods to our runs, if it's alright with you. That just means that Emmett, Carlisle or myself will run through and make sure there are no scents where there shouldn't be any. I'm not sure what Edward was looking for in your house and it's disturbing to say the least. I'll definitely be telling Carlisle about this," Jasper finished icily.

 _So...tired...but I can't forget to ask..._

"Jasper..." Bella trailed off sleepily.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Could you really rip Edward's arms off?"

Jasper chuckled darkly, "Oh, yes, Bella. Among other things. Typically not fatal. But for you, I'd make an exception."

"Wh-," she yawned, exhausted. "Why is-, that?" Bella drifted closer to sleep.

"To be honest, I have no idea," Jasper whispered back, not sure she had heard him. He stroked her bruised arm for another hour before gently doing back up her cast. Remembering the note she had written for Charlie, he carefully picked through her sweater pocket and withdrew it. After poking around for some some tape on her desk, he adhered it to the outside of her door so her father could see it in the morning without disturbing her. He locked the door as it had been previously, gave Bella a parting glance and climbed out the window. The vampire closed it quietly behind him and vanished into the predawn night.

/*\ /*\ /*\

 _A/N: Just a reminder that I still don't own anything or profit from this story in any way, shape, or form._

 _This chapter was also not beta-ed, so if you catch anything horrific, PM me! Hope you lovelies are having a wonderful weekend!_


	7. Chapter 7

"Bella, it's time to wake up."

The soothing voice broke through her sleep-fogged brain, successfully waking the tired girl.

"Fuck off... for five more minutes."

The voice chuckled. "I don't think so, Bella. School starts in 45 minutes. I figured you'd want to shower."

Bella cracked her puffy eyes open and glared mutinously into the face of Jasper Whitlock. "I wouldn't go so far as to say want, but I probably need one. Why are you here, anyways?" She groaned and rolled over, compressing her cast arm. "Fuck, ow! Dammit."

She sat bolt upright, the pain waking her more successfully than Jasper had. "You sure are free with your expletives, Bella," the blonde haired vampire observed.

"Yes, and?"

Jasper met her glare with a teasing smile. "I like it. It's nice to hear you expressing what you're feeling since I can't tell with you. As to why I'm here, as you've just remembered, I'll be driving you to school today. You didn't answer your door and I'm assuming with everything that happened, you forget to set an alarm."

Bella sighed in defeat. "Well, you being thoughtful doesn't mean you're forgiven for waking me up," she retorted while stretching her good arm above her head and yawning. Yanking back the covers and swinging her legs over the edge, Bella sat up and eyed her cast arm warily. She settled a pillow under her arm before peeling the Velcro straps off. Carefully, she parted the cushion to peek at her healing progress.

Bella let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. The bones were already healing, she could tell just by looking. Though the bruising was still very much present, she was certain the sling would be sufficient.

She raised her eyes to mention this to Jasper, only to realize he was already next to her, seated on the bed, his eyes gleaming like pitch. Correlating his darkening eyes with rage, Bella slowly and gently raised her good hand to place it on his. "I'm okay," she whispered when he finally raised his eyes to hers.

Jasper closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath, as though to center himself, and let it out equally slowly. "I can not express how angry I feel whenever I see the damage he caused. It absolutely enrages me that he put his hands on you." He opened his eyes and Bella was relieved to see the shade had shifted to a darkened gold shade after interpreting the concern on her face.

Eyes softening to a warm butterscotch under her gaze, he murmured, "I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't intend to upset you this morning. I don't know why it's making me so mad." He shook his head gently. "At any rate, may I?" Jasper glanced to her arm still cushioned in the cast dressings.

Bella merely nodded and watched as he finished undoing her cast and softly raised her arm, his fingers ghosting along the skin where the bone had been broken. "The swelling has gone down a lot, and if I'm not mistaken, I'd say with your accelerated healing, you seem to be about three weeks into the normal healing process. You should be able to shower and use your arm, so long as you're careful and wear the sling after to restrict movement while your muscles repair."

Bella grinned and stood, glad to be ditching the cast. "Then we agree. I'm going to round up some clothes and shower. You can wait in here if you'd like but if not, the living room is downstairs."

She quickly picked out socks, underwear, sports bra, a long sleeved black undershirt, a loose-knit, burgundy sweater, and a pair of black leggings. She carefully carried them one armed to the bathroom where she dropped everything in a heap on the counter top.

"I'll only be a few minutes," Bella called out before closing the door behind her. She turned the tap to get the hot water flowing and relieved herself quickly. Thanking her lucky stars that it was her left arm that had been damaged and not the right, she wiped, flushed and wasted no time hopping into the shower.

Bella groaned as she realized her mistake. A moment later there was a tap on the door. "Are you okay?" Jasper's voice came from outside the bathroom.

"I'm fine. I just realized that I might need your help blow drying my hair is all."

Jasper laughed. "You're in luck, Bella. I actually have experience in that department. Let me know when you're ready."

 _What kind of experience could he have?_ Bella wondered. _Maybe Rosalie has needed help? Or Esme? Alice, with her messy, spiky do, certainly wouldn't require any assistance._

Washing and putting conditioner in her hair before moving on to her body, Bella took her time to make sure to get all the dirt off her feet and used care to remove any from under the nails on her injured hand. She washed her face, rinsed her conditioner out, and stood in the water a minute longer, letting the droplets hit and soothe her aching arm before turning the water off.

She pulled back the curtain quickly, knowing the cool air was waiting for her either way, and fumbled for her towel on the rack. Able to move a little more freely than the night previously, Bella was dry and clothed in under 3 minutes, complete with a somewhat sloppy deodorant application.

She grabbed her blow dryer from the bathroom closet, opened the door and called out, "Ready when you are!"

Jasper's form filled the door an instant later and grinned at the device in her outstretched hand. Another moment passed and the blow dryer was plugged in, on, and blowing a stream of warm air towards her towel dried hair. Using his fingers to comb through the few tangles that had persisted even after being conditioned, the vampire made quick work of his task, leaving Bella's hair dry and fluffy in a matter of minutes.

"Where did you learn how to do hair, Jasper?" Bella asked with a smile after he had finished. She tilted her head to and fro to admire the blow out.

Jasper laughed openly. "After spending over 60 years with Rosalie as a sister, I picked up a few tricks, and while it's difficult for some vampires to remember their human lives, if I think back, I can almost recall helping my mother get my two younger sisters ready for the day." He smiled sadly, before continuing, "We didn't have blow dryers of course, but I helped braid their hair to keep it managable."

A lump formed in Bella's throat as tears welled in her eyes, making it difficult to reply. "I'm sorry about your family, Jasper. It can't be easy, outliving everyone you care about."

"You know a bit about that, don't you," he frowned and once again seemed to struggle to not wipe away any tears that had escaped from her eyes. "Thank you for your empathy," he murmured softly. "Now, I hate to keep winding up your emotions and needing to back burner them, but we currently have 20 minutes to get to school and it's probably a 10 minute drive from here."

He disappeared for a second and was back with her book bag in one hand, sling in the other. "Let's get you in this first," he handed the sling to Bella and set the bag down.

Finding the cushioned portion and assuming it was meant to go around her neck, Bella started there, sliding it down and over her head, then struggled to get her hair out from under it. "Um, Jasper? If it wouldn't be too hard, do you think you could put my hair up real quick? I don't need Alice's visions to tell me that I'll be getting it caught on the strap all day," Bella muttered.

A few moments passed before Jasper spoke, "Would you like me to braid it?"

Bella met his gaze and offered a small smile of encouragement, "Yes, please. Thank you." She walked to the bathroom to find a hair tie and returned a moment later to hand it to him.

Jasper moved to stand behind her and instructed her to tip her head back for a moment as he sectioned the front. Then, moving with vampire speed, he managed to braid her hair securely and loosely, ensuring she wouldn't get a headache from random bits pulling more tightly than others.

"It looks great," Bella gushed when he had finished. "And you did it in under five seconds. I'm guessing that's a world record," she laughed. "Thanks so much."

"You're quite welcome," Jasper answered her. "Now, breakfast."

Bella headed for the stairs, grabbing her bag in her good arm as she went. She paused at the top, debating. She wouldn't be able to carry her bag with her right hand and hold on to the railing at the same time. Realizing her predicament, Jasper held out his own hand for her bag.

"I thought you couldn't read me, Jasper."

"I can't read your feelings, but I can read your face, Bella."

She handed her bag over with a sigh, feeling simultaneously grateful for Jasper and annoyed with herself.

"You now seem upset. Did you need a longer amount of time to decide what to do?"

Bella's eyes snapped to his face to see his eyes twinkling - he was teasing her. "Haha, no. I just don't like when other people have to do things for me. I'm very self reliant," she stated simply as she started down the stairs. "Thank you for helping me, though," she added. "I'm not _ungrateful_ , just hesitant to accept help from anyone, ever."

Jasper followed her descent to the living room and into the kitchen where she was grabbing a protein bar from the cupboard. "I can understand that and I'm sorry if you feel uncomfortable. I assure you, I'd never do something for you that you could do yourself unless you asked me to."

Bella glanced at him to see if he was joking again – he wasn't. "That's considerate of you." Pausing a moment, she unwrapped the protein bar, took a bite and set it down so she could grab a mug. Opening the fridge, she took out the bagged lunch she had put together the day before, and set it on the counter. Next, she reached in for the carton of milk, and filled her cup about half way before putting it away.

 _All one handed!_ She congratulated herself.

Resuming her breakfast, she chewed quickly, watching Jasper examine the bright yellow cupboards. "That shade of yellow was my mom's idea, from what I've gathered."

"Cheery."

"You don't have to be polite," Bella snorted. "It looks hideous. Renee was a decent parent and my best friend, but she was absolutely horrendous when it came to decorating." Bella broke into a wide grin as she recalled a memorable incident, "This one time, she found a coffee table at the thrift store and kept going on about how it would look great if she sanded it and painted it. Well, by the time she actually got working on it, she was so entirely frustrated with how long it took to sand that she used one of the two shades of paint we had at the time instead of running to the hardware store to get some. It wouldn't have been so bad if there had been enough paint to finish. Long story short, we wound up with a purple topped, aqua legged coffee table smack dab in the middle of the living room."

"I honestly can't imagine," Jasper grinned with amusement at her description.

"Luckily for you, I have pictures somewhere," Bella added before finishing her breakfast and rinsing her cup out. She checked the clock. "Looks like I have time to brush my teeth, then we should head out."

Jasper nodded and grabbed her backpack. Noticing a protest form, he cut her off. "You can't carry it right now in addition to your lunch. You can stop at your locker, drop off your lunch bag, and _then_ decide if you want to carry your book bag."

Bella silently agreed with his logic and made her way to the bathroom on the main floor where she knew Charlie kept a few spare toothbrushes in the closet. Flossing would have to wait until her arm was healed enough. Finishing, she turned to the door to find Jasper occupying the space, glass of water in one hand, half of a pain killer in the other. "Doctor's orders."

"Whoops, I forgot. Thanks, Jasper."

Bella popped the pill in her mouth and accepted the glass from Jasper and swallowed it down. "Where's the other half?" she asked as she set the glass on the sink.

"I noticed you didn't have any pockets so I figured I would put it in one of mine."

"Good idea. We should head out, then."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jasper grinned as Bella rolled her eyes, and led the way to the front door. He held out his arm for her to hold on to while she slid on a pair of flats, which she accepted. Bella grabbed her keys and locked up the house behind them, and the two set off for Jasper's truck.

"Now, I noticed yesterday that you all seem to enjoy driving quickly – you know my dad is the Chief of Police, right? If we get pulled over with me in the car, you'd probably lose your license," Bella remarked archly.

"I wouldn't dream of speeding with you in the vehicle, darlin'," Jasper teased as he opened the passenger door to stow her bag in the truck.

"Don't you try to sweet talk me, Major Whitlock," Bella retorted as she gripped the handle built into the side to hauled herself in, one handed. She felt the coldness emanating from his hand as he ghosted it behind her in case she fell.

"Why? Is it working?"

Bella snorted but had to duck to hide a blush as he gently closed the door behind her. Knowing he could still hear her, she continued speaking, "Hardly. I imagine you speak to all the girls this way, being a southern gentleman and all." She struggled with her seat belt in vain before she glanced up to see Jasper watching her with a wry smile.

Bella extended the seat belt buckle to his waiting hand and Jasper latched it for her. "I wouldn't know if I put the southern charm on for _all_ the girls," he winked at Bella then wrinkled his forehead in concentration as he considered how to phrase the rest of his thought. "I don't typically speak to anyone, let alone humans," he admitted before starting the engine.

 _Well, what am I supposed to say to that?_

"Sorry for ruining your nonhuman communication streak," Bella erred on the side of sarcastic joke.

"I don't know if you did," Jasper mused thoughtfully. "You're obviously a lot human, but also a lot…extra. Supernatural?"

"I suppose you're right. Anyways. What do you mean you don't normally speak to anyone?" Bella questioned as they made their way to the high-school.

"Aside from my family here, I really only enjoy being around three other vampires. Two of which reside in Texas, the third living no where in particular, a nomad. I see them when I can but it's not as often as I'd like," Jasper confessed. "You're the first human-ish person I've talked to in decades outside of pleasantries. It helps that I'm not constantly overwhelmed by your emotions, but in addition to that, you-, well, you don't smell like dinner, so I don't want to kill you," he signaled for their exit and continued through the town.

Bella laughed at his blunt explanation, "I appreciate that you're honest with me. You are what you are, and you eat what you eat. I'm glad I don't smell like food to you, though. It would be a pity to not be able to get to know you this way."

"I quite agree. Connecting with you reminds me of my humanity and," he trailed off for a moment. "I'd like to know more about you," he posed his statement as a question, as though asking her permission to keep up their new found friendship.

Jasper parked his truck in the parking lot and glanced at the clock. "Four whole minutes to spare."

The girl opened her door and hopped down before reaching in and grabbing her lunch bag. She shut the door and circled around to the driver's side where Jasper stood, not quite meeting her gaze.

She looked down at her shoes with another blush as she answered his earlier question, "I would like to know more about you, too. I just don't want to disrupt your life too much." Bella looked up to see Jasper's brow furrowed in protest but held up a finger to indicate she wasn't done with her thoughts. "I haven't had friends in a long time and I can't tell you how much it meant to me, during my shift to just not be alone. I don't want-" she had to look down again. "I don't want to get close to you and your family and then because of everything with Edward and-"

Jasper pulled her gently into a hug, giving her time to push him away if she wanted. "You're not going to lose me, Bella. I'll be around as long as you want me to be. You want to run around on the full moon, you got it, I'm there. You want to just hang out and talk, that's good too. I'm not going anywhere."

Bella nodded against his chest and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to broadcast our friendship in front of the school. I just think that since my mom died, it has been hard to trust that I won't always be alone. Especially after such a small amount of time being aware of each other and our...differences."

"I look forward to putting in enough time that you feel secure," Jasper let her out of his embrace and gestured to the door. "We now have two minutes before class and you still need to put your lunch in your locker."

"Wow, you'd think with your extreme sense of punctuality that you were in the army or something," Bella teased with a wink.

"Very amusing, Miss Swan," Jasper fired back as he held open the door for Bella.

"Oh, why thank you, kind sir," she crooned in a southern bell voice. "I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been left to my own devices to figure out how to open a door."

They crossed the threshold into the building in time for Bella to register that at least 20 other students had heard the last exchange. Their expressions ranged from shock, to jealousy, and annoyance. Then the whispers started.

The two made their way down the main hall to stop at Bella's locker. "Doesn't take a mind reader or an empath to interpret that mess, she whispered. "I'm sure by the end of the day, half the school will think you took pity on me for my injured arm, gallantly holding open the door for clumsy Bella, only to be publicly scorned moments later. The other half don't know what sarcasm is and will think I was serious and am that stupid."

"Which would you prefer? I can pretend to be wounded by your spurn, or I can act like you didn't know what an automatic door push button was and required the assistance of a gallant gentleman, such as myself," Jasper answered with a grin.

"Hmm. There is a separate and distinct beauty to each," Bella replied with a smile. She spun the dial on her locker and opened it to stow her lunch then shut it, giving the dial another spin.

"Let me know before lunch so I can ignore your womanly wiles or help you cut up your sandwich, whichever would apply," Jasper winked as he walked Bella into her class and set her bag down by her seat.

He turned to face Jessica, whose eyes were practically popping out of her head. "Jessica, right? You and Bella have the same class next, correct?" he asked.

The stunned girl nodded before Jasper continued."Could you help Bella carry her book bag to your next class? She slipped on a patch of ice yesterday morning near my parent's house and my father wants to make sure she doesn't hurt it further by straining the injury."

 _Smooth,_ Bella thought. "Yeah, I guess morning walks are off the table here, at least until spring," she sighed as though put out by the idea.

Jessica could only nod again in acknowledgment. Smiling as he turned back to Bella Jasper whispered, "See you at lunch," loudly enough for Jessica to hear, before turning towards the door and strolling out of the classroom to his own.

"What - the hell - just - happened?" Jessica asked, the words falling out of her mouth in shock.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Jess," Bella replied in a tone of feigned innocence.

Jessica groaned in frustration and buried her face in her arms. "Oh my God, Bella. You so selfish," her accusation was muffled by her sweater sleeves. "Nothing ever happens here and you _literally_ have a chance to save me from dying of boredom. Why must you be so cruel to me?"

Bella rolled her eyes but laughed at the girl's overly dramatic act. "Fine, Jess. Breathe," at this, the girl stopped her feigned sniffling and grinned. "I slipped on some ice. I was lucky Dr. Cullen was leaving for work or I would have had to walk home in pain."

Jessica nodded along as though the tale made sense so Bella continued. "So the doc drove me to the clinic, checked it out, prescribed me something for pain and called Jasper to come and get me to take me to the pharmacy, then home. He helped me get settled in and we wound up talking for a few hours, but that's all there is to tell. Oh, and he drove me to school today."

"But why was he carrying your bag!" Jessica exploded in excitement.

Bella gestured to her arm in the sling. "I actually am injured, Jess. Jasper was told to help me and so he did. Nothing more to it."

Jessica visibly pouted. "There is so, more to it! He's in to you, Bella. I can tell!"

"You're delusional."

"I am not," Jessica fumed as the bell rang. She lowered her voice before reiterating her observations, "Bella, he stayed and _visited_ after taking you home. He didn't need to buddy up to you but he did! AND HE DROVE YOU TO SCHOOL," the last sentence was whisper shouted at Bella.

"Gee, Jess, it's almost as though he might want to be my FRIEND," Bella stressed back. "Besides, he's a senior, remember? Why on earth would he be in to me," she rolled her eyes sarcastically as Lauren's perpetually smirking face appeared on the tv screen to start the morning announcements.

"Whatever, Bella. Lauren said that, not me," Jessica trailed off as Mr. Murdoch sent a stern glance her way before facing the news again. "I just don't think it's that much of a reach," she finished in a whisper, turning away from Bella, effectively ending the conversation.

As the end credits of the student led news ran across the screen, Mr. Murdoch stepped forward towards the head of the class from where he had perched against his desk and clasped his hands together.

"Now that we've gotten through...that, we all get to head down to the auditorium where you will sit through a pep rally," he rolled his eyes at this. "In addition, the senior class is voting for the best poster and if ours is selected we get to choose from a list of school approved prizes. Now, leave your bags here, and head on down," he gestured to the door. "Bella and Jessica hang back a moment."

Bella's stomach flip flopped as she considered the possibility that she was in trouble for talking during the news.

 _Great. Strike one._

As the rest of the class filtered out, Mr. Murdoch gestured to Bella's arm, "Bella, I think it would be best if you sit on the lowest level of the bleachers, all the way on the left so your arm doesn't get bumped around. The senior class typically gets filtered in last and closer to the bottom," he explained. "I figured, that since the two of you seem to be getting along, you'd rather have a friend sit with you than sit alone, in a sling, among a group of older students you've never talked to."

"Oh, thank you! Yeah, that will be nice, right, Jess," Bella asked her new friend pointedly.

"Yeah, sure! I don't mind."

Mr. Murdoch ushered the girls out of the classroom and down the hall. Once inside the auditorium, he spoke to the teacher that was seating the students. He waved the girls over to the far end of the bleachers, "looks like we just need to let the seniors get packed in first so no one trips over you, then you two can sit."

The group of seniors were led in, Emmett and Rosalie among them, but no sign of Jasper, causing Bella to sigh inwardly. She and Jessica took their seats with enough space left between themselves and the last senior that they felt oddly isolated.

One final class seemed to trickle in and, finally, Jasper came through last, taking a seat on Jessica's right, much to the girl's delight.

"Hey, there Jasper," Jessica greeted the boy with a conspiratorial grin. "I've been instructed to keep Bella here some company but I'm not feeling so good. Maybe you can manage the task while I use the ladies room." Before either Bella or Jasper could reply, Jessica was off to the bathroom, one hand on her mouth and the other on her stomach - the almost universal sign for "I'm about to vomit."

Jasper quirked an eyebrow at Bella, "Care to explain? She was lying, but well enough that the teachers felt concern. That's odd behavior, even for a human, right?"

"Jess is interesting. She has a flair for the dramatic," Bella explained. "She thinks she's doing us a favor," Bella raised her brows suggestively with a roll of her eyes. "As if anyone could get away with anything on the bleachers at a pep rally."

"A strange observation," Jasper noted with a grin. "Do you speak from experience?"

Bella blushed, mortified, and studied her shoes.

"Isabella Swan, I am shocked to hear of such behavior," Jasper joked lightly, taking her silence as confirmation.

"Shocked to hear I'm a rule breaker?" she raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Didn't you hear? I'm a troublemaker."

Jasper chuckled. "I'm quite sure you're capable of breaking the rules, I just didn't think you'd date anyone that would try something at a school event."

"Who said he was the one that tried," Bella winked at Jasper's momentarily flustered face before Jessica resumed her seat.

"What did I miss," the girl asked, gesturing to the cheerleaders as though she actually cared.

"We have no idea," Bella muttered deviously.

Jessica grinned and paid rapt attention to the rally, seemingly smug as she halfheartedly clapped in an appropriate show of school spirit for a nauseated girl. The next two hours passed by more slowly than Bella would have liked. Finally, the winner of the poster contest was revealed. Unfortunately, Bella and Jessica's class did not win. It was safe to assume that when faced with overwhelming amounts of pink glitter, the voters offered a hard pass.

 _You win some, you lose a lot_ , Bella thought, amused.

The auditorium was ordered to clear, one line of bleachers at a time, starting with the back rows on the right, leaving Bella, Jessica and Jasper time to stew in awkwardness. So, naturally, Jessica headed for the bathroom again.

"To clarify," Bella offered first, "the bleacher incident was at a football practice, not a pep rally. We weren't technically breaking any rules since school was out. Though, it was the absurdity of the location that has cemented it forever in my mind, not the quality of the activities."

Jasper raised an eyebrow in response.

"Oh, god, activities makes it sound like more than it was," Bella flushed. "We were just kissing and I slid my hand under his shirt. I guess he was really ticklish and didn't like it. I was moved to another school district the next week so it's not like I was crushed anyways."

"Why were you moved to another school district?" Jasper asked, allowing Bella a chance to exit the awkward direction the conversation had been going.

"After my mom died, Charlie and I thought it would be best if I tried finishing out the end of the year in Phoenix, to be with my friends instead of starting somewhere new. I could have moved up here over the summer, but at that time, I couldn't say goodbye. I couldn't leave the places that reminded me of her, the moon lit desert, and the little places we had made our own during our mother daughter time. She was usually a coyote," Bella recalled fondly.

"I'm sorry you hurt still," he offered softly. "I think I know a little of what you feel – at least geographically. I still miss Texas. The south has a very different kind of beauty," Jasper admitted to encourage Bella to continue. "Who did you stay with, then?"

"I was staying with some friends of my mom's. They were like my family, I had known them since I was born, basically. Called them aunt and uncle and everything. I finished out my freshman year and even started my junior year but started getting into fights at school," Bella explained then trailed off. "I wasn't shifting the way I needed to, I wasn't doing anything with that energy," she ended in a whisper recalling the tension that had filled her body.

"I was such a mess while trying to sort my life out. I was expelled from two schools in Phoenix. Eventually, everything got settled with Charlie and then the school here dragged their feet on accepting me. I'm actually on a three strikes and I'm out type of policy. If I make it to the end of this year without earning more than three detentions I'll be welcome back in the fall."

Jasper leaned away from Bella as Jess returned and their row was allowed to head back to classes. The trio made their way down the hall and with a parting smile, Jasper turned right where they turned left. The girls joined the rest of their home base class and Mr. Murdoch instructed everyone to go to their 3rd period classes next to give the day a normal flow.

Jessica carried Bella's bag in for her before scurrying off to her own class. The hour dragged on as a reflective mood overtook the girl. It was almost as though something inside of her was prodding her to remember to do something. She needed to...call her aunt and uncle.

 _It's been a while. I should probably call them and let them know how it's been going since I got to Forks. I'm sure they're worried about me._

The bell rang for lunch before Bella had even realized it was near time. She carefully slung her bag over her good shoulder and started for the door. Jasper was at her side the moment she exited the classroom.

"Hi," she greeted him with a lopsided grin. There was something about Jasper that warmed her from the inside out.

"Hey. Did you want me to carry your bag to your locker?" Jasper offered as they walked down the hallway together, shoulders brushing together.

"I think I've got it for now, but if you could hold it while I get it opened and help me get the books I need into it, that would be amazing," Bella answered, avoiding the semi-confused looks of her classmates.

"Can do," he beamed in response. "How's your arm feeling?"

"Quite a bit better, actually. I really do think that by the time school is out, I'll be able to take it out of the sling without any issues. I'll have to wear long sleeved shirts for a while, though, if the bruising doesn't go away as fast. Charlie would flip out."

"Charlie isn't the only one," Jasper practically growled.

"Where is Lurky, by the way?" Bella asked darkly. "I didn't see him during the pep rally and I kind of remember you mentioning you needed to talk to Carlisle about his being in my house," Bella trailed off as they reached her locker. She placed her bag in Jasper's outstretched arms and unzipped the top to take books out and replaced them with her Biology, Geography and Spanish books.

"From what Carlisle told me, Eddie called to say that he went off to Alaska to stay with some family friends. He's pouting, if I had to guess. No one likes being called out, but I'm guessing he's offended that Carlisle didn't buy his bullshit excuse and sided with me. He's too used to getting his way," Jasper explained as he shifted the bag and zipped it up so Bella could grab her lunch from the locker before shutting it.

"As it was," Jasper continued, "Carlisle didn't bring up his being in your home, but assured me we'd all be continuing runs that included your land to make sure nothing else pops up that shouldn't be there. I really want to know why he went there, though. Especially after the fight. I mean, we know he didn't know it was you, so why go to your home?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," Bella murmured softly. "Though, now that you mentioned he left, it's entirely possible that after spending time hanging around in my woods he just wanted to stalk me one last time before splitting town. Perhaps upon seeing an open window, he decided it was too good an opportunity to pass on violating my privacy further," Bella offered sarcastically.

"You have a very good understanding of psychopathic behaviors, Miss Swan."

The two laughed quietly, drawing even more stares. "That's so annoying," Bella grumbled as they headed for the cafeteria.

"Do you want to know the main feelings I'm picking up on?"

"Probably not, but go ahead," she answered as they entered and headed for an empty table together.

"I'm getting jealousy. Lots and lots of jealousy," Jasper smirked.

Bella grinned, "Aww, the poor girls. Though, I do feel bad for spoiling any standoffish, dangerous, loner type reputation you had built previous to my arrival."

"Oh, you misunderstand, Bella. It's jealousy from everyone. Boys and girls. Meaning that unless every single male student is also into me, there's a lot of jealousy revolving around the fact that _I_ have garnered _your_ attentions."

Bella laughed openly, "You're joking, right? I mean, honestly, that's ridiculous."

Jasper raised an eyebrow but said nothing further on the subject as the girl reached into her lunch bag for her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "You're going to need something to drink to take your pill. What would you like?"

"Um...milk, probably. Anything else with my sandwich would be weird," Bella fished in her bag for some change for Jasper but he declined it with a shake of his head. "I have to get a tray of food to blend in anyways and can just give you my milk. I'll be back in a minute."

He left before Bella could argue with him about taking her money but she shrugged it off. It wasn't like he was going to drink whatever he purchased. A moment later, she was joined at her table by Jessica and Angela. The two girls exchanged a look before Angela spoke, "Bella, did you want us to sit somewhere else today?"

"What? No! You can sit here, don't be silly. Why wouldn't you?"

Jessica rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated huff. "Bella, we didn't know if you preferred to spend time alone with Jasper or not."

"Jess, I've already told you, nothing is going on. He's my friend, you two are also my friends, please sit with us. You are more than welcome."

Angela offered Bella an apologetic smile and turned to Jessica, "Just let it go, Jess? Let's enjoy our lunch and get to know Jasper. If Bella considers him a friend, he's probably a nice person."

"He is," Bella insisted then thought of how to transition the mostly silent Jasper they had come to know of the past year and half with the Jasper she knew. "He's just quiet until you get to know him."

Jasper approached the table and set down his tray with a grin, "Anyone I know?"

Jessica looked down at her tray guiltily as Bella laughed. "Oh, stop. You know I meant you. Don't scare my other friends."

Angela nodded in greeting to Jasper and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Angela."

"Angela Weber?" Jasper asked.

"That would be me. How did you know?"

"You're on the yearbook staff, with my sister, Alice, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Angela smiled, happy to ease into conversation so easily.

"She has said some nice things about your photography work."

"That was very kind of her," Angela blushed and nibbled at her salad.

Jasper opened and handed over his milk carton, ignoring Jessica's raised brow. A moment later, there was a pill half between the milk carton and Bella's sandwich. She picked it up, popped it in her mouth and took a sip of milk to wash it down before either girl could see it.

She spared a glance around the cafeteria as Jessica talked animatedly, seemingly over her strange shyness as Angela opened up to Jasper. Bella's eyes fell on the back of a head of spiky, black hair. Seated across from Alice, was Emmett. Their gaze met from across the room and he gave her a grin and a wink before nudging Rosalie. The gorgeous vampire looked up at Bella from below her lashes and gave a nod and smile of her own before speaking to Emmett.

 _Subtle,_ Bella mused. _They apparently don't mind that I'm spending time with their brother._ Feeling decidedly relieved, Bella turned her attention back to the table to hear Jessica end her statement with, "Back me up here, Bella!"

 _Shit._

"Don't be mad at me, Jess, but I've been zoning out pretty hard and have no idea what you were talking about. My arm was bothering me," she smoothly covered.

Jasper and Angela both burst out laughing as Jessica blushed deeply.

"That doesn't count! Bella is in pain and very distracted," Jessica asserted.

"What did I miss?" Bella asked politely.

"Well," Angela started with a grin, "Jess was telling us all about her acting prowess and how her flair for all things drama leaves her audiences captivated, hanging on her every word."

"Your lack of attention could not have been better timed, Bella," Jasper continued the explanation with a chuckle. "Though, having witnessed the magic that is Jessica's acting in action, I'll admit she isn't entirely off base. You had the teachers convinced you were sick. Mrs. Cooper came away from the bathroom with a grimace."

"That would be because I have mastered the art of dry heaving. I heard someone approaching the door and started coughing, then heaving. I even spit into the toilet."

"That's dedication. I can't say it was necessary, however," Bella laughed.

"Trust me, spending time on my phone in the bathroom was far more enjoyable than a pep rally, Bella. I even looked up a couple of places for our Port Angeles trip," Jess burbled excitedly.

"You three are going to Port Angeles? Alone?" Jasper looked at the girls with concern on his face.

"Not for a few weeks. Why, are you offering to chaperon us girls and protect us from the dangers of the big city?" Jessica asked him with a smirk.

"I might be persuaded if we can stop at a bookstore or two," he joked back. "In all seriousness, though, there has been an increase in missing people lately and knowing you're planning on going, I wouldn't feel right not offering, at least."

"Well, luckily for us, Bella requested bookstore stops as well," Jessica quipped with a roll of her eyes, expressing just what she thought of that plan. "I wouldn't turn you down, though. Ang?"

"I don't mind," Angela answered quickly. "Bella?"

Bella shrugged. "I think it would be nice. And I'm sure Charlie would feel better knowing it wasn't just us girls," she said thoughtfully. "He might want to meet you though, Jasper."

"I'd be fine with meeting your father, just let me know when. If necessary, I'm sure Carlisle would be willing to give your dad a call to make sure everyone is the level. I bet I could even persuade Rose and Em to come, too."

Bella grinned at the thought of being escorted around Port Angeles with three vampire bodyguards and worked on her lunch. Jessica and Angela told Jasper more about themselves and the rest of the lunch hour passed quickly and comfortably. With only a few minutes left before the bell rang, he turned to Bella, "Why don't I carry your bag for you to your next class. Will you have someone to help for 6th and 7th period?"

"I can help her on the way to 6th," Jessica offered.

"I have Biology at 7th, too, so I can help her carry things on her way," Angela followed up.

"Perfect, thanks you guys!" Bella gushed at her friends.

Jasper grabbed her bags and walked slowly with Bella to her next class. "Well, this is where we part ways," Bella stated as the first bell rang.

"Not for long, Miss Swan. I'll be sure to stop by the Biology room to help you to my truck."

"I look forward to it and appreciate the assistance, Major Whitlock," she whispered with a teasing grin.

Jasper beamed a thousand watt smile of his own before responding with a "My pleasure, darlin'."

 _That level of smooth should be illegal,_ the momentarily dazzled girl thought as he lightly steered her towards the open classroom door.

/*\ /*\ /*\

The rest of the afternoon flew by in a blur, until suddenly, the final bell had rung and Jasper was waiting for her in the hall. He allowed the classroom to filter out before stepping through the doorway, causing her classmates to turn and stare in apparent wonder.

"You'd think they had never seen a senior talking to a junior before," she muttered as a blush spread across her cheeks.

"They've never seen _me_ talk to anyone other than their family before. The main feelings I'm picking up on are confusion and jealousy. You have a good friend in Angela, though," Jasper informed her.

"Oh?"

"She felt glad and relieved to see me. I imagine it's because she cares about you making it out of here without hurting your arm. Speaking of, do you mind if I come in after I take you home so I can check on it?" he asked sounding almost unsure, as though afraid she would object.

"Of course you can," Bella beamed to reassure him. He grabbed her bag and waited for her to stand before leading her out the door and down the hall. "You're welcome anytime, Jasper."

Grinning silently to himself, the two made their way to his truck. Opening the door for her with his right hand, he used his left to steady Bella, once again, as she climbed in one armed. Moments later, they were heading for her home, both quietly reflecting on their days.

"So," Bella started, "What can you tell me about being a vampire?"

Jasper chuckled and glanced at her, "How very direct, Miss Swan. Do you have any specific questions or did you want the sparknotes, version?"

Bella tapped her cheek as she considered, "I think perhaps an overview, and then if I have questions that you're willing to answer, we go from there," she suggested as Jasper pulled into the driveway and parking his truck.

"Fair enough," he amended, grabbing her backpack. Jasper hopped out of his truck and, at a human pace, he circled to Bella's side, opening the door and extending an arm for the girl.

Blushing softly she took his waiting arm. "Thank you, Major Whitlock."

"My pleasure, darlin'," he answered with a nod of his head and escorted her up the porch.

Upon entering her home, both Bella and Jasper took exploratory sniffs of the air and said, "Clear," at the same time.

Bella laughed easily as she took a seat on the couch. "I guess we're both a little on edge about trespassers, now."

"A little on edge might be an understatement," Jasper agreed sarcastically, taking a seat at the other end of the couch. He set a few decorative pillows between them so that Bella had something to rest her arm on. Obligingly, she removed the sling from the back of her neck and extended her arm, allowing Jasper to remove the fabric himself.

 _This is oddly relaxing_ , she thought to herself. _He doesn't make uneasy like he did last week; before I knew he was a vampire. Interesting._

Jasper's soft golden eyes flicked to her face momentarily, causing Bella to wonder if he had felt her emotions, which in turn, set her to blushing again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he murmured withdrawing his hands. "I just wanted to be sure you were okay with me being so close to you like this."

"Oh, no," Bella corrected him quickly, "I'm totally fine with this," she gestured to her left arm between the two of them. "I was thinking about something else that made me blush."

Lips quirking, he raised an eyebrow in response, "Is that so, Miss Swan?" Though, he didn't pry, he did proceed to gently slide her sweater sleeve up, fingers trailing softly along the bruising.

 _Every time he calls me Miss Swan...why am I such a sucker for southern boys?_ Flushing crimson at this point, Bella let out a sigh and settled back into the cushions behind her as Jasper finished his inspection and continued to soothe her aching flesh.

As the minutes passed, Bella closed her eyes and allowed the relaxation she felt to flow through her. Then, she remembered the purpose of looking at her arm to begin with."What's the prognosis?" she asked dreamily without opening her eyes.

"The bones seem to be fine, but I'll need you to test that out. Maybe just bend your fingers, see if you can grip anything, then try extending and bending your arm," he suggested in a clinical tone.

The contrast in tone shocked Bella into sitting upright to study Jasper's face. "You're mad again," she noted with a frown. Without thinking about it, she reached her thumb out to press the wrinkles out of his forehead. Jasper's eyelids fluttered shut as his face relaxed into her hand.

"Every time I see those bruises, I want to kill him, Bella. I keep thinking back to his attack and wonder how our family let him come to a place, mentally, where he thought those actions would be okay." His eyes opened and held her own in their gaze. "He should know better. He does know better, and it didn't matter."

"No, you can't blame yourself for another person's actions. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, never made a difference. It happened, and all we can do is move forward."

"That's very wise of you. I'm impressed with your ability to handle this kind of trauma," he spoke softly.

"Ah, well, I didn't spend a year in counseling to walk away without coping skills," she informed him dryly. Ready to move on with the subject, Bella deflected by picking up the pillow, managing to forego wincing as she gripped the fabric. "What did I say? Good as new," she gushed excitedly. "A little stiff, sure, but I should be able to shift tonight just fine. You and Emmett are still planning on coming, right?" she asked happily.

"Definitely," Jasper confirmed, eyes twinkling happily. "I'm glad you see excited. I'd like for you to know Emmett better. He, Rose, and I, are a tight knit bunch within the family."

"Why is that?" Bella asked thoughtfully.

"Well, it's kind of a long, vampire-filled story but I think we have the time," he began with a grin.

"It all stared late one night at a diner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1948. I don't really know why I was headed there, to be honest, I just _had_ to be there. I walked in, and lo and behold, there was Alice, waiting for me on a barstool. 'What kept you waiting?' was the first thing she ever said to me; bossy as all hell, but so full of hopeful and excited emotions that you could have knocked me over with a feather.

"Alice told me all about her visions and how they work, how the Cullens existed as a family of what we've come to call 'vegetarians,' feeding only on animal blood. She explained how we'd become part of their family and that there, with them, is where we would find our happiness.

"She wasn't wrong. We started hunting only animals - which is what makes our eyes this color, by the way; most vampires have red eyes - anyways, we approached the family cautiously, but between our lightened eyes and Edward's mind reading, we were accepted quickly enough.

"Emmett and Rosalie, are what are known as a mated couple. This means that they have found their soul mates in each other – it's like this physical and emotional bond. Vampires are so unchanging, that growing apart doesn't typically happen. It's unheard of for mates." Jasper gave Bella a few moments to consider what he had said.

Bella rolled her sleeve back down and played with the hem of her sweater before working up the courage to ask, "Do you speak from experience?"

Jasper frowned slightly and played with the pillow in his hands. "Sadly, no. While I have had companions over the years, never a true mate. I was actually with Alice for a while."

At this, Bella's heart sank. _Of course, I mean he's been alive for a long time, of course he'd have had partners at some point._

"She is not, however, my mate," he concluded.

"How do you know?" she asked, trying to keep her face neutral.

"Well, like I said, the bond is very physical. It's something I would have felt, inside. I can't tell you for sure, considering I've never felt it myself, but Emmett described it as electric, almost. Magnetic. He can feel Rosalie with hundreds of miles between them, and know how she's feeling or if she's hurt.

"On top of that, I got confirmation from Alice. We stopped being a couple in the late 80s – things were becoming more and more strained between us, then she had her first vision of her mate." Jasper paused for a moment and studied the pillow more closely. "After that, I asked her if she'd look for my mate," he admitted shyly. "Unfortunately, there was nothing. I don't have a mate, not now, not ever."

Bella felt genuine sadness for his pain and, for the second time that afternoon, reached to touch him to provide physical comfort. She gave Jasper's hand a gentle squeeze as she spoke, "I'm so sorry, Jasper. I can't imagine how that must make you feel."

Jasper gave Bella's hand a soft squeeze back, sending her emotions swirling. She found herself glad he couldn't feel what she was feeling.

"Thank you," he answered, allowing their fingers to remain entwined. "Anyways, after all that, I couldn't really stay with the family for a while, so Emmett, Rosalie and I kind of, broke off for a while. It wasn't because things were bad between Alice and myself, there is no bad blood there, it was just hard for me to accept that I would never have what they had, you know?"

Bella nodded to encourage him to continue, though she really had no idea what that must have felt like for Jasper.

"They made it their mission to keep me from dwelling on that fact. Emmett is a decent fighter and that's kind of been our thing. Rosalie can be a little emotionally erratic, and with my abilities I helped her to level out. Over time, we just learned to depend on one another, like family does. Em and Rose made me a better person; more kind, softer. They kept me from growing bitter," Jasper explained.

"I'm glad you had them," Bella whispered, her voice cracking. They sat in silence, Bella softly rubbing the palm of Jasper's hand as the two wound down from the emotionally charged moment. Finally, the sound of Charlie's cruiser pulling into the driveway had them pulling apart and tossing pillows where they belonged. Jasper had folded and stuffed Bella's sling into his pocket a mere two seconds before Charlie entered the home.

"Bella," he called out from the entry way, "someone here?"

"Yeah, dad, my friend Jasper Hale, Dr. Cullen's son, drove me home."

"I see," Charlie answered as he rounded the corner, gun still loaded and strapped to his belt.

 _Wow, dad._

Jasper stood and extended his arm for a handshake. "Hello, Chief Swan. It's nice to finally meet you."

Charlie took his hand and grunted in approval of Jasper's handshaking abilities.

 _Men,_ Bella thought with a roll of her eyes.

"My father truly is sorry for what happened to Bella's truck due to the accident Edward caused. He and my mom would like to fix it up for Bella. My sister Rosalie is very good with trucks and would take it on herself – she helps out down at Al's Body Shop most nights after school. If it doesn't pass your inspection after, we'd be more than happy to actually cover the cost for Al to do it, but last I checked, he's booked until mid May."

Bella tried not to act surprised by this information and nodded along. "Sounds like a good opportunity to get it taken care of without having to wait until summer."

Charlie debated it for only a few moments, "I will definitely have to check over it after, but I'm fine with that. Now that I think on it, I may have heard one of the Cullens work there."

"She's actually a Hale, dad. Like Jasper. They're twins," Bella explained.

"Oh, that's right. Well, thank you for bringing Bella home and for the offer."

Jasper smiled briefly, "It's no problem, sir. Rose can arrange for a tow later this evening to get it to the shop and start tomorrow." He turned to face Bella, "In the meantime, if you need a ride tomorrow, I would be happy to give you one."

 _Oh, lord, the double entendre. Don't blush, don't laugh. Don't blush, don't laugh._

"Will you be covering tomorrow morning, dad?" Bella managed to ask her father with a straight face, ignoring an all too innocent looking Jasper.

Charlie let out a tired sigh, "Unfortunately, yes. Dawn called this afternoon and I guess her daughter is sick now, too. Drew, her husband, won't be back until Thursday, so she has to stay home with Abby."

"That's rotten luck," Bella marveled.

"Very," Charlie agreed. "Anyways, I ordered some pizza for dinner. Did you want to stay, Jasper?"

"No, but thank you; I have a family dinner tonight. I should probably get going. See you tomorrow morning, Bella."

"See you," she waved as he left, then turned to face Charlie.

"He seems nice," Charlie offered with a chuckle. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Mortified, especially considering they were still technically in Jasper's hearing range, Bella covered her face. "Oh, my god, dad. No, he's not my boyfriend. He is a friend, however."

"You know, I'm old, but I've had _friends_ before, Bells."

"Dad, _please stop,_ " the girl practically begged.

Charlie sighed and continued, apparently determined to have 'the talk,' "I just want to make sure you're safe, you never know-"

"Mom _so_ beat you to this conversation and trust me, that is not what's going on," Bella cut him off.

"Alright, just making sure, Bells. You're still my baby, you know?"

"Yeah, got it. I'm going to go the dining room to work on my homework now and we're going to not talk until after the pizza is here, deal?"

/ * \ / * \ / * \

 _A/N: SUCH A LONG CHAPTER. We are sitting at close to 10k words, I just really wanted to give you guys some Jasper/Bella time, and also, some Bella and friends time._

 _That's something that really bugged me in the original story...good people don't just leave friends hanging. SM's Bella is in dire need of some girl time, and social development – closing off her life so quickly just rubbed me the wrong way._

 _On that note, I own nothinggg. No characters are mine, blah blah. You know the drill._

 _At any rate, I hope this didn't drag on too much and that you all enjoy it? Thanks for reading and reviewing! I read all of them and try to respond if I can, so be sure to check your DMs!_

 _Again, not beta-ed. Been super busy/slightly uninspired this past week._

To my anon reviewer, known only as Peder: Touche! That would have been smart. Honestly, good idea and great observation!


	8. Chapter 8

Dinner passed quickly, and the father daughter pair managed to steer clear of any awkward topic landmines. As Bella washed the plates and glasses, Charlie turned the conversation to plans for evening.

 _Well, my truck is out of commission so there's no need to disconnect the battery again._

"I don't think so," Bella answered, thinking of how to pass the time until she could shift.

"Well, I just got to thinking you should call your aunt, let her know how you're doing," Charlie suggested.

"Oh, that's right! I actually thought about that earlier today. I know she wanted an update after I got settled."

Charlie smiled at his daughter and ran a hand through his hair. "Be sure to tell her I say hi, but that I'll be turning in early with this schedule I have going on. If she needs to talk to me about anything, she can call my cell tomorrow."

 _You mean, so I can tell Aunt Lottie about Jasper, and she can relay the information to you, right?_ Bella thought with a mental roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, dad, I will."

"Alright. Well, I'm going to watch some TV then head to bed. Have a good night, Bells."

"Night, dad," Bella answered as she turned back to the sink to finish washing up a stray coffee mug from the morning.

Satisfied that the kitchen was clean once again, Bella headed for her room to avoid disturbing Charlie's show, and to get some privacy. She unplugged her cellphone from the charger and sat down on her bed, making sure she was comfortable, before finally scrolling through her contacts and selecting her aunt.

The phone only rang once before it was picked up.

"Hey, sugar! I've missed you," bubbled the voice on the other end.

"Hey, Aunt Lottie," Bella grinned, happier already, just to hear her voice. "I've been missing you too! How are things back home?"

"Oh, you know, same old. It's not the same without you here, though. How is the new school? You making any new friends?"

Bella sighed softly and tried to think of how to summarize the last week. "Well, I made a few new friends, and a few new enemies, but am actually handling the transition decently."

"I'm glad to hear that, baby! Tell me about these enemies, though. I'm not liking the sound of that."

"Well, my first enemy is this girl, Lauren. She was super mean to me last week, all because this senior boy looked my way. That was annoying. The second is the younger brother of said senior boy – he does _not_ like me."

"Sounds like a roller coaster," her aunt offered sympathetically. "No fights, though?"

Bella paused and hoped it wasn't long enough to raise her aunt's concern. "No fighting in school, like I promised."

"Izzy!" Bella cringed at her aunt's tone. "Don't think I didn't catch that 'in school' bit. I'm glad you haven't had issues at school, though. That three strikes policy isn't as generous as it sounds."

Bella sighed, "Yeah, I know. Even being late enough times can merit a detention, so I've been careful."

"Good girl. Now, tell me more about this boy you have caught the eye of," Lottie gushed in a proud but protective tone.

"Haha, nice try, but I'm not giving you any more than I've told Charlie. He wants you to call and spill tomorrow, by the way," Bella informed her.

"You know I wouldn't tattle, honey," her aunt replied in a put-out tone.

 _With acting like that, Aunt Lottie and Jessica would get along just fine_ , Bella realized with an amused smile.

"Just tell me if you like him too," her aunt encouraged her to dish.

"I don't know yet. I think I do; it's kind of a weird situation, and I may have overheard him and and his brother arguing over some girl. So far, we are becoming friends but I'm not willing to put any expectations on it, you know?"

"Oh, I know, Iz. Men are strange creatures, aren't they? Much more complex than most people think."

"Definitely," Bella laughed. _You have no idea how complex._

"What is he like? Tell me about him and your other friends!"

"Well, he's kind of tall, blonde hair-"

"I didn't know you had a thing for blondes!" her aunt interjected.

"I don't normally," Bella giggled. "He's the only exception, honestly. Anyways, he has these warm, soulful eyes – you could drown in them. It's a little overwhelming, but at the same time, he's so steady emotionally and laid back when we're together."

"Together? Are you two spending much time together already?"

"Well, I tripped and fell on some ice over the weekend and his dad is one of the doctors here in town. He volunteered Jasper to drive me home and we just kind of got to talking," Bella lied, figuring the cover would be easier to explain.

"Ah, yes, talking." Bella could practically hear the woman's eyes roll. I remember 'talking' fondly," her aunt teased.

"Oh my god, not you too!" the girl laughed in mock exasperation. "You and Charlie are far too suspicious about friendships with boys."

"Uh-huh. Probably because we've been your age before, honey. We both know what teenage boys think about the most," her tone held caution but she didn't warn Bella away from Jasper. "What ever you choose to do is your choice, but don't let some boy pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do, sweetheart."

"You know I won't, Lottie."

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, your other friends – are they all boys too or what?"

Bella giggled and explained, "No, my two other friends are both girls; Angela and Jessica. They were the first people to be nice to me and sit with me at lunch. They even stuck with me after the Lauren thing."

"That's how you know they're real friends. Risking becoming social pariahs for the new girl; Lauren must be a treat," she answered sarcastically.

"A real _sweetheart_ ," Bella agreed in a tone that implied sweetheart was code for _bitch_. "I think the girls and I, and a few other people from our class are going to the beach this weekend for a bonfire. There's this kid that lives out there – I used to hang out with him when I was younger and Charlie is friends with his dad. He invited me to a thing and instructed to bring friends and marshmallows."

"Well that sounds like fun! Are you going to invite your new man friend?"

Bella thought for a moment, "Maybe. I'm not sure, actually. I'll think about asking him, but he might want some space." She chewed her lip at the thought.

"There's no harm in giving people space - he might not even like the beach. It's pretty cold there now, isn't it? You might wind up rained in," her aunt noted.

"That's a good point," Bella chuckled. "Guess I'll just have to see what the weather is come Saturday morning."

"Sounds like you're going to have a busy social life in Forks," Lottie observed happily. "Don't forget to take care of yourself, though, honey."

"I know, Lottie. I won't," Bella answered, feeling sad that Lottie's concern for her was justified. She played with the lace on her comforter for a moment. "I promise, things are going better. I haven't forgotten to eat, I'm getting enough sleep for the most part, I'm showering, and remembering to brush my teeth. I've even been doing my homework."

"Good, honey, I'm glad to hear it. We worry about you still, you know?"

"I know. Really, though, you can ask Charlie tomorrow – I'm doing better."

"I trust that if you weren't okay, you're at a point where you'd tell me. I'm glad things are going better for you up there, sweetie."

"Me too," Bella sighed. "I'm sorry I made things so hard for you and-" a knock sounded on Bella's door. "Sorry, Lottie, I think Charlie is heading to bed and I don't want to keep him up being too loud. Can I call you next Sunday, maybe? I can tell you how the bonfire went!"

"Sounds good, Iz. I'm just a call away if you need me before then. Love you, sweetpea."

"Love you too!"

Bella ended the call and got up from bed to answer her door. As suspected, it was Charlie. "Hey, dad, what's up?"

"Just headed to bed and wanted to make sure you were okay. Did I hear you telling Lottie you'd be going to the bonfire?"

"Yeah, as long as it isn't too wet," Bella laughed.

"Well, I know if it is, Billy is okay with Jacob having his friends over in the garage. They have a fire pit out the back and it's semi-covered."

"Oh, that's neat! I asked Jessica and Angela and I think they're going to ask Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie. You know them?"

"Sure do. The Newton boy's parents own the camping store in town, and Eric's dad is a volunteer firefighter. Good kids, from what I've heard."

"Do you just know everyone and everything?" Bella asked her with a smirk and raised brow.

"Pretty much. Comes with the territory, Bells. Anyways, I'm heading for bed, but just wanted to let you know your truck was towed about 15 minutes ago, so that's one less thing to worry about."

"Oh, good!" Bella answered excitedly. "I can't wait until I can drive again. Not that there's anywhere fun to go, but you know."

"Independence. I get it," Charlie answered with a wry smile, clearly reminiscing about his high school days.

"You'd better get to bed, dad. Sleep well and don't work too hard tomorrow! I'll have dinner ready when you get home," Bella pushed on, hoping to avoid starting Charlie on the topic of his first car. Forever lamenting its loss, Charlie could talk at length about his '67 Impala.

He nodded in reply, "Sounds great, honey. Don't stay up late and, have a good day tomorrow, too."

/ * \ / * \ / * \

Bella grabbed a pair of leggings from her dresser and a long blue shirt from her closet, rolled them up, and set them in a small, waterproof toiletries bag. It had come with a camping duffle that Charlie bought for her a few summers ago when she expressed an interest in the outdoors. If she managed to carry it, clenched in her teeth, from here to the meadow, she would have clothing ready if she needed to shift back.

Excited and pleased with her preparedness, Bella propped her window wide open and held the bag with her teeth, hoping that as she shifted into a hawk, her grip would hold. Luckily, it did, and the girl set off for the meadow where her new friends would be waiting.

Sweeping low over the trees near the clearing, she scanned for a place to store her bag and noted a tree with a hollow in it. Smelling long abandoned, she nudged it safely inside and resumed her favorite form. As the mountain lion approached the edge, she noted one dark head of hair, and two blondes. Before her stood Jasper, Emmett and, to Bella's surprise, Rosalie.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett boomed and charged her excitedly. Laughing internally at his forward approach, she dodged him easily, and ran towards Jasper. Nudging his leg in greeting, she turned to look up at Rosalie for an explanation.

"Rose wanted to hang out, too, if you're okay with that," Jasper explained.

Bella purred and bowed slightly to Rosalie, indicating that she was indeed, okay with the addition, and that she wanted to play. With that, the two were dashing around while Emmett and Jasper watched, laughter in their eyes.

The two didn't play as roughly as Jasper and Bella had, something Bella thought was nice of Rosalie. They mostly raced through the woods, looping around, and swishing soundlessly through the trees. After a few laps, however, Bella started feeling the strain in her left front paw and arm.

 _Guess I need another night to really recuperate,_ Bella realized.

The shifter slowed her pace and started heading left to reenter the clearing. Rosalie looked confused and hurt for a moment, so Bella sat and lifted her paw, before whining, as an attempt to convey what was wrong.

Rosalie had no sooner let out an "Oh, sorry," before Jasper was in front of them, concern in his eyes, and a growl building in his throat, looking for a threat.

Before he could misunderstand, Bella nudged his thigh, and huffed in frustration. She raised her paw and whined again, reminding him that she had been previously injured and that Rosalie hadn't hurt her in any way, nor was there any danger.

Jasper immediately stopped and faced his sister again, who was observing the scene unfold with a raised brow, and a quirked grin. "Sorry, Rosalie. Just feeling defensive after last night," Jasper offered as an explanation.

"I'm sure that's it," Rosalie agreed, a little too innocently. "Why don't you and Emmett spar, show Bella how vampires play, while us girls chit chat."

Jasper looked skeptically at his sister but did as she suggested. Rosalie and Bella found a fallen log at one end of the clearing; the silvery blonde vampire sat atop it, while the sore shifter leaned against it. The two sat in a companionable silence and watched on as Jasper took a reserved approach, and let Emmett run attack after attack, before finally catching the hulking mass of vampire by surprise, flipping the dark haired man on his back.

Satisfied the boys were occupied, Rosalie tilted her face to study Bella, and so quietly, the shifter was sure the two other vampires in the meadow could not hear them, whispered, "So, Bella, tell me, do you like my brother?" If not for her enhanced hearing, she would not have heard her.

Heart-rate increasing with minor embarrassment and trepidation over being questioned so bluntly, she nodded her head slowly. The silence resumed, as both Jasper and Emmett continued their game, though clearly curious as to what the girls were discussing so quietly.

 _If a mountain lion could fidget, that's what I'm doing,_ Bella thought with an awkward internal laugh. She looked back to Rosalie and waited for the girl to express some kind of opinion about this development.

Rosalie glanced back to meet Bella's questioning gaze and added, "While it makes me nervous to think he could get hurt, I think that you are good for him. He's been alone for too long – relying on only the company of our family for too long."

Bella must have looked even more confused, so Rosalie softly explained, "Jasper has friends of his own, to be sure, however, his two closest haven't seen him since the late 90s. When you're a vampire, time passes differently and you don't really notice when it's time to branch out again. He's a good man and deserves happiness in his life."

Bella bobbed her head in acknowledgment, glad to understand the girl's position.

After another building silence, Rosalie asked her, in a more normal tone, "So, can you become any animal?"

Bella shifted into a long haired black house cat and leaped up onto the log next to the vampire. Rosalie broke into a full smile, exposing dimples in her cheeks. "I had a cat that looked something like that," she explained, gesturing to Bella. "I don't remember much from my human life, but I remember her. She was named Mira. You're a little too big, and she had a blaze of white fur on her chest, but everything else is the same.

The paired turned their attention back to the boys, who, as time went on, had grown more heated in their battle. Shouts of, "You're cheating," and "Tactical application isn't cheating, Emmett," reached the girls. Rosalie giggled at her mate and brother before continuing to Bella, "After I was changed...I had some things to take care of," she trailed off, focusing on her mate once more.

"When that was done," I visited my parent's home one night, very briefly. I had to make sure my sister was doing okay. Luckily, she was sleeping when I peeked in, with Mira curled up at her feet. When the cat saw me, her hackles rose up in agitation, and I realized that as a vampire, no animal would ever want to come near me again. I know you're not actually a pet, but it's nice to be close to a cat again."

Bella thought about her story, and felt saddened at what must have been a great loss for the girl. It seemed like there was much Rosalie hadn't told her, but she could feel the pain behind her words. Hesitantly, Bella stepped closer to the vampire and nudged her hand softly.

Rosalie stared at her for a moment before extending her fingers, allowing the cat to rub her face along them. Scratching Bella's cheek gently, she elicited a purr from the shifter.

Emmett muttered something Bella didn't quite catch about Jasper wanting to be the one to make Bella purr, before the sound of the large man getting knocked to the ground sounded again. Whooping in laughter, the dark haired vampire jumped up and ran towards Bella and Rosalie, kicking dirt up in the process.

"Come on, Rosie, let's go hunt!"

 _Subtle,_ Bella thought sarcastically, as Rosalie spoke the word aloud. "Subtle, Emmett – but I could use it." She turned to the cat and gave her a parting chin scratch, whispered "Thank you, Bella," then took off after her mate.

Bella transformed into a mountain lion once more and rolled her shoulders, stretching her neck.

"Stiff?" Jasper asked, followed by the sound of an echoing chuckle from the trees. The blonde vampire rolled his eyes in response and sighed. "I assume from taking a small form for that long? You had mentioned that you had shifted into smaller creatures and not felt good the next day."

Bella nodded then tipped her face towards his watch. "It is 10 o'clock," he informed her. "Do you need to be getting back?"

Bella shook her head back and forth to indicate she didn't. Struck by an idea, she motioned Jasper to sit on the log. He looked inquisitively at her for a moment, so she added on the universal "stay" command with her paw. With a chuckle, Jasper sat and said, "I'll stay."'

Bella darted back through the trees, turning once to make sure he had stayed where she asked him to. Finding the tree she sought, shifter became naked human. Reaching into the hollow, she pulled her bag free and unzipped it, changing into the clothing quickly, lest curiosity bring Jasper to her.

A few moments later, the girl entered the clearing carefully, to avoid breaking her skin on branches. _Lack of scent or not, it's probably better to avoid bleeding in front of a vampire._ She walked quietly, taking care to not gather his notice.

 _What if this is awkward,_ she thought nervously. _What if he finds it hard to switch from talking to an animal to talking to me?_

She shyly took a seat next to Jasper and waited for his reaction. He jumped slightly before beaming at her. "I must say, you startled me, Miss Swan. A very rare thing. You sounded different coming back, but I imagined you had become something else."

"Just me," Bella offered in response. "I thought maybe changing back into a form where I'm not putting pressure on my my arm might be best."

"Smart," Jasper replied with a nod. "It was very nice what you did for Rosalie," he added, catching her eyes with his own.

"It wasn't a big deal," Bella murmured, looking down at her feet. Her skin was glowing white in the moonlight against the grass. The girl extended her hand towards Jasper's, "Look, in the moonlight, we almost match."

He grinned in response, and took her hand in his to examine it. "Almost. You're nearly as light, but have a little more pink, to my eyes."

Heart beating more quickly as he touched her, she held his hand closer to her face. "I think I see what you're talking about. You're more silver." Bella lowered his hand back to the log with her own; neither let go of their grip on the other.

Slowly, her heart began to resume its normal pace, though it felt stronger than it typically did, pulsing in her neck. "Bella," Jasper whispered quietly to gain her attention.

Just like that, her traitorous pulse betrayed her, picking up speed again. "Yes, Jasper?"

"I don't want to make this awkward, or anything," he started.

Her heart sank down into her stomach in response, beating erratically. _Oh, god. This is the part where he tells me that we can't be friends anymore, due to my obvious attraction._

Jasper took a settling breath and waited a few moments before he pressed on, "Are you afraid of me?"

Startled, the girl squeezed his hand and turned to face him. "No! Not at all! Why would you think that?"

He furrowed his brow and frowned. "Your heart-rate increases sometimes and I wonder if I'm making you afraid or doing things you don't like. I'm sorry if that's the case."

 _Shit._ Bella blushed and tried to conceal that fact with a smile that was too large to be natural. "You _definitely_ don't scare me, Jasper." She couldn't look at him as the embarrassment washed over her.

 _Thank goodness he can't feel my emotions,_ Bella almost laughed with relief.

Too aware of their hands still holding each other, she let go, causing Jasper to freeze, clearly hurt. She stood, pacing in front of him. "I'm not afraid of you, Jasper." Bella ran her hands through her hair. "This is very frustrating."

"What is frustrating?"

"This," she gestured between them. "I'm normally not this brazen but I don't see us making it beyond this conversation otherwise."

Jasper looked even more confused, "I'm not sure I follow?"

"Well, for starters, you are at a disadvantage, unable to read my feelings, and let me assure you, you are misinterpreting things right now," Bella explained. "Again, I am _not_ afraid of you." He stared at her in disbelief. "I am starting to _like_ you."

Jasper's mouth dropped open slightly in response, as what she was explaining sank in. A moment later he was beaming so genuinely that Bella practically melted. "My apologies for making this awkward for you, Miss Swan. It seems I should have said something sooner."

Bella blushed in response and looked down again. "Yes, well, that probably would have been awkward too. I _guess_ I can forgive that oversight, Mr. Whitlock."

Chuckling, Jasper stood and took both her hands in his, and gently brought her right to his lips. "Again, my apologies, ma'am." He pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers.

"Jesus-" she whispered softly, world spinning, and heart racing.

"I'm not sure he has much to do with us, darlin'," he winked.

Bella took a step back to gather her breath and collect her thoughts. "That isn't fair," she joked when she opened her eyes. "You dazzling me like that all the time."

"It comes naturally," he replied, chagrined.

"Sure, sure, you weren't putting the southern charms on at all," Bella joked, then turned serious as she organized her thoughts. "Now, before we get carried away, I do just need to clarify something."

"What's that?" he asked, sounding slightly nervous.

"Well, I hate to admit I eavesdropped, especially when I had apparently gotten away with it, but last week, you had Edward cornered outside of my Biology class. Do you recall that?"

He nodded slowly and let her continue.

"I overheard you two. There was mention of some woman – a singer, I believe Edward called her. The two of you seemed to be arguing as to who would...be with her. Do you-," her voice cut out as her jealously overcame her. "Do you have someone you're interested it? I'm not second fiddle for anyone." The girl started to pace again, agitated by the possibility.

Surprising the girl, Jasper burst into laughter. "No, Bella. You have it all wrong. Walk with me?"

The paired walked through the soft grasses until they came upon the spot where they had previously star gazed together. Sitting down, he patted the ground next to him. Bella sat and wrapped her arms around her knees as she waited for his explanation.

Jasper took a breath and asked, "Remember what I told you yesterday about mates?"

"Not all vampires have them, and it's kind of like a soul mate type thing, right?"

"That's correct. Well, every now and again, there are cases where a vampire comes across a human being that smells so absolutely mouth watering, it takes an enormous effort for even the most experienced vampire to walk away without killing them instantly."

Bella paused, "That's horrifying, but I'm not sure how it ties in."

"The human's blood is said to call to a specific vampire, they are known as 'singers' in our culture," Jasper continued.

"So a there's person in Forks who has blood that calls to Edward? That must be difficult to deal with. Is that why he has such a bad attitude?"

"Not quite. For some inexplicable reason, Edward has tried to convince the family that _you_ are his singer, and that we all need to leave." Bella's mouth opened in shock. "With me being able to read his emotions, I knew that he was lying and exposed him to the family."

"Why would he lie about that?" Bella exploded angrily. "Why would he want you all to leave?"

"I've been asking myself the same questions and I haven't really come up with anything conclusive. It could be possible that between his not being able to hear your thoughts, and my interest in you, which I'm sure he picked up on, he felt threatened, somehow." Jasper sighed before continuing. "Edward is like a child – he wants whatever he can't have, and when he doesn't get his way, he pouts. He crossed the line, though, laying hands on you."

Bella shivered slightly as his face grew tight, eyes darkening into tar pits. Remembering that physical contact seemed to bring Jasper back from the edge of whatever darkness filled him, she laid her hand on his.

"So, to be clear, you two were fighting over me? That's better than having another girl in the mix to contend with."

"How are you so calm after finding out a manipulative vampire lied about having a compulsive urge to slaughter you?"

"I'd rather deal with a delusional sociopath than fight someone else for your attentions, I guess" she answered honestly. "It sounds stupid put like that, but it's true. Thinking there was someone else made me irrationally angry," she admitted quietly. "Probably just due to the moon."

He studied her before responding, "Your emotions must get very heightened, if that is the case."

"Yes, though this week has been different from the past couple of months. I think I'm getting thrown off by enjoying myself and having good shifts, combined with the stress of starting a new school. It almost evens the situation out, if not for my spontaneous emotional outbursts."

Jasper thought for a few seconds. "It seems reasonable to assume it's due to circumstances, then. If you feel like you need to talk, though, I'm a good listener."

Bella grinned. "I've noticed. Thanks for the offer, cowboy."

Jasper's smile reached his eyes as he laid back in the grass and studied the night sky. One hand behind his head, the other extended out as an offer for Bella to rest against, he looked extremely content. The girl sighed happily, relaxing into his loose hold, and together, the two watched as the stars swept across the sky.

/ * \ / * \ / * \

A/N: OKAY, DON'T KILL ME. I know, I know, this chapter is very, smiles here and smiles there and EVERYONE IS SMILING, but I think they deserve that, don't they? I realize I only built the tension for a week and that's kind of lame of me, but THEY ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER. WE'RE NOT QUITE JUMPING IN YET, and for that I also apologize. I know most of you are chomping at the bit for a kiss or two! It'll come. Promise. Just trying to figure out how to balance lemons, drama, subject content, and not Mary Sue-ing it all up in here.

Not beta-ed, feeling iffy, finished at 5:45am. Sorry if it's horrible – don't give up on me, though. I'm trying! Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews of the last chapter!

Also, sorry that this one is shorter! The next will be longer, PROMISE.


	9. Chapter 9

Bella woke to the sound of her alarm and hit snooze almost immediately. Groaning to herself, she stayed in bed, half asleep, half awake, reviewing the night before. Having shifted back before eventually heading home, she remembered most of the night very easily.

 _My feelings seem to have gotten away from me, though,_ she reflected. _Jasper didn't exactly say he liked me back, but I know there is_ _ **something**_ _between us._ Caught up in the memory of star gazing by his side, she wasn't prepared to hear the sound of the alarm so soon. Heart racing at the sudden sound, she turned it off and stretched before tossing her blanket aside.

Bella turned on the light in her room and proceeded to gather clothes to change into after a much needed shower. The girl let the hot water run while she brushed a few pieces of grass from her tangled hair. Stepping under the flow of heat felt incredible on her muscles, so the girl took a few minutes to close her eyes and just relax before starting in on the rest of her body.

Feeling calm and collected after her shower, Bella blow dried her hair – which turned out much less nicely the blow out magic Jasper had performed. _It will have to do_ , she thought with a sigh. A few moments later, a knock sounded from below.

"You can come in, I'm just getting dressed, then I'll be out of the bathroom," Bella spoke in a quiet voice, knowing that if it was Jasper he would hear her, and if it wasn't, whoever it was would knock again. Another knock sounded, much to Bella's disappointment. Yanking her shirt over her head and jamming her legs through her jeans, she took to the stairs, skidding down the last two roughly. She grumbled in frustration before opening the door, only to find Jasper frowning guiltily at her.

"Sorry, a neighbor was out walking and your door was locked," Jasper started. "I could have gotten in through a window if I tried, but if I had been standing right here then suddenly not...well, we do _try_ to not attract attention."

Bella rolled her eyes and smirked, "Yeah, you all blend right in. Well, come on in Mr. Whitlock. I've been expecting you," she finished with a wink. "We have a bit of time; I just have to get a lunch together and grab my bag."

Her stomach grumbled and Jasper's brow furrowed, "Perhaps you should eat breakfast as well?"

Bella made no comment but led the way to the kitchen where she pulled a packet of instant oatmeal from the cupboard. She poured it into a coffee mug and added the specified amount of water before stirring. Placing it in the microwave, she set it for two minutes and opened the fridge to consider her options. "What do you think: turkey and cheddar sandwich with lettuce or a peanut butter and jelly?"

"I honestly couldn't say," Jasper answered, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I've never had peanut butter."

Bella's eyes widened in shock, as she realized he couldn't have possibly had it. The girl smacked her forehead, "Duh, of course you haven't. I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," he chuckled. "Just part of the package, I suppose."

The microwave went off, giving Bella a chance to think as she pulled it out to give it a stir. Miraculously, it had cooked perfectly. She let it rest on the counter before opting for the peanut butter and jelly.

"Though, at one point in time, Rosalie and I convinced Emmett to try a strawberry pop tart. We told him that the filling tasted a bit like like blood, that it must have been something in one of the additives," Jasper told her with a mischievous grin.

Bella laughed as she pulled the loaf of bread from the cupboard and removed two slices. "What did he do after he tried it," she asked curiously.

"Well," Jasper smiled sheepishly, "he had to – erm – bring it back up. Food can't digest in our bodies."

"Not at all?"

"Not even a little," he answered honestly. "Though, if we drink a _lot_ of alcohol, we can get drunk, something I wouldn't never condone for someone your age, however."

"I'm not big into drinking or drugs," Bella offered. "Though I've tried a few things."

Jasper looked at her with a raised brow. "I'm shocked to hear of such naughty behavior, Miss Swan."

"Oh, I'm sure. I bet in the past 160-something years, you've _never_ partaken in illicit activities," she winked.

Jasper looked troubled, and Bella wasn't sure what exactly she had said that would create such a reaction. "Sorry, I seem to keep putting my foot in my mouth."

"Don't be sorry," he covered quickly. "It's just that my story is quite long, and filled with many illicit activities."

"Oh, right. You used to feed from humans?" Bella posed it as a question but knew the answer was yes, as just the day before, he had explained that he became a vegetarian only after Alice found him. "I take it that feeding doesn't end...well."

"It does not," he confirmed, face growing haunted. "Murder is only one of the many crimes I've committed."

Bella thought for a moment, taking a bite of her oatmeal to pass the time. Chewing and swallowing carefully, she answered him, "You can't help what you are, Jasper. I am willing to bet you didn't ask to become this." He said nothing, so she pressed on, "Seems to me, based on the scars I have seen, that you had a very rough start to your second life. I'm so sorry for the pain you have felt," she offered, tears welling in her eyes.

Jasper reached for her then, cupping her face gently with his palm, thumb wiping the tears from her cheeks where they had broken free. Bella's eyes fluttered shut, as she slowly breathed in the scent that was uniquely Jasper, and calm washed over her. She took comfort from the fact that he was in one piece and in front of her. A moment later, she was stepping forward to close the space between them to embrace him.

Jasper wrapped his arms around her and sighed softly into her hair. "I can't feel you what you feel, Bella, but I long to. Your emotions seem to run very deeply." She nodded as he took one hand and smoothed her hair; the other rubbed slowly against her back.

"It makes me so angry that someone hurt you, Jasper. I can feel that you have a kind and gentle soul. I might not be an empath, but I know that much," Bella murmured softly. "You don't have to talk about it, but understand that whatever happened before isn't now. I do not, nor will I ever, judge you for your past."

Jasper pulled away to gaze into her eyes, no doubt attempting once more to get a read on her emotions. "How can you offer me redemption so easily, Bella. You barely know me."

She refused to look away or feel embarrassed when she finally answered him, "I know enough, Jasper Whitlock." Bella took one hand and grazed her fingertips along his cheek, nearly mirroring his own gesture. "You're good, and that I know," her hand slid down to his chest, placing her palm against the space his heart would have been beating. " _I_ can feel _you_." Without thinking, she leaned forward.

Jasper took a ragged breath and withdrew slightly, closing his own eyes for a moment before whispering, "Bella?"

"Jasper?" she answered, trying not to feel rejected.

"If we don't leave in exactly one minute, we're going to be late for school."

Reality sunk back in quickly as Bella turned to face the clock in horror. "I can't be late, Jasper! I can't afford to get into trouble."

"I know. Go brush your teeth and I'll put your sandwich in your bag and make sure you have all of your books."

"Thank you!" she called back as she ran towards the bathroom. She brushed as quickly and as thoroughly as she could before splashing a bit of cold water on her face. Bella dashed for the front door where Jasper was waiting for her, backpack held with one hand, lunch bag and house keys in the other.

Slipping on a pair of flats and grabbing her keys from Jasper to lock up with, they headed out the front door. The two got situated quickly in Jasper's truck, and were on their way. "You remember what I said about speeding, right?" Bella asked her vampire companion.

"I remember everything," he answered in a matter of fact tone.

"Well, forget it, just go."

"Miss Swan, encouraging me to break _another_ law? So soon? Here I thought you were going to be a good influence on me," he teased.

"You are simply impossible, Mr. Whitlock," she answered him in a half frustrated, half amused tone.

Jasper didn't bother hiding his grin, "Something tells me you enjoy it."

Bella didn't hesitate with her answer, opting for honesty over teasing, "Yes, quite."

Jasper grew quiet as they pulled into the parking lot, a mere two minutes to get to their respective classes. "My locker is closer to the front, if you give me your lunch, I can store it for you so you can run to class," he offered.

"Deal," Bella answered with a laugh as the two launched themselves out of his truck and rushed towards the brick building.

Jasper reached the door seconds before she did and reached for the handle to open it for her. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes, Jasper," she answered, passing her lunch bag to him as the two crossed the threshold, getting ready to part ways.

"I really think that, at some point, we should finish what you started in the kitchen," he whispered, finishing with a wink. Butterflies fluttered to the beat of a hurricane inside her as she turned right, and Jasper turned left. She somehow made it to class with a minute to spare, unable to speak once at her seat.

The next thing she knew, the news had flickered on, meaning the bell had already rung. The capped end of a pen was jammed gently against her side, "Earth to Bella," came a whispered voice from her left. Jessica was staring at her, wide-eyed. "Dude, what's your deal?"

Feeling confused, Bella could only ask, "What?"

"I've been trying to talk to you for like three minutes," Jessica explained with a roll of her eyes. "You off in la-la-land?"

"Something like that," the still dazed girl muttered back, trying to appear attentive.

"So," Jessica began, unwilling to let her off the hook that easily, "what's going on?"

Bella looked at her hands and pressed them to her face. "I think you were right, Jess."

The sandy blonde haired girl grinned and answered, "I usually am. You'll have to be specific, I'm afraid."

Bella groaned quietly, "I think you were right about Jasper, Jess."

/ * \ / * \ / * \

After being hounded for more information by Jessica in the only other class they shared that morning, Bella was dreading lunch, which was due to start in ten minutes. _Ten very short minutes,_ she amended in her mind. _Why did I even say anything,_ she chastised herself. _He could have meant our conversation, right? He could have meant anything other than implying that we are going to kiss, right?_

Bella realized she was only working her nerves up and spent the remaining minutes of class trying to calm down before having to share a table with her excitable friends, and the vampire she almost kissed in the kitchen of her father's home. _Did I seriously do that?_ The more time passed, the less real the memory felt. _I touched his face, I had my hand on his chest._ Her heart was racing as she retraced her steps. _I leaned in. I definitely leaned in...but..._

The bell rang, alerting students and staff that lunch was now upon them. Gathering her book and binder, Bella proceeded to slowly pack her bag. She could feel Jasper's eyes on her from the doorway causing the girl to blush.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and stood, momentarily dizzy, and made her way to the vampire that had occupied her thoughts for the majority of the morning. "Hey," she whispered, finally meeting his gaze and with a tentative smile. "How has your morning been?"

Jasper escorted her down the hall towards the lunch room, once again, causing other students to stare in apparent wonder. "Too long," he answered with a sly grin. "I may have been a little distracted."

"I am absolutely shocked, Mr. Whitlock. Your poor teachers must feel their tutelage awfully wasted on you."

Jasper snorted, "Come now, Miss Swan. I doubt very highly that you were not also likewise preoccupied."

"It's possible," she muttered back, blush spreading higher along her cheeks as they entered the cafeteria.

Seemingly pleased to hear this news, Jasper's lips quirked, as though to avoid breaking into an actual smile. The two took seats at what had become their usual table and waited quietly for Jess and Angela to join them. Jasper passed the girl her bagged lunch and stood. "Your friends are heading this way and I think I'm going to leave you to deal with the emotional storm that is Jessica. Milk?" he asked her.

"Traitor," she joked, but nodded her confirmation for milk, and Jasper set off for the lunch line.

Jessica and Angela approached the table and took their seats. Not even three seconds ticked by before Jess launched into a clearly planned speech, detailing why the other two girls deserved to know what was going on. "First off, Bella, you can't just drop a bomb on me and go all mute again! It was borderline cruel! My brain hasn't been able to shut off thoughts of what exactly you could have meant all morning. I _almost_ forgot to ask Mike to come to the beach earlier because of you!" She drew a breath before continuing, "Secondly, I made a fool out of myself in French because I couldn't remember the word for _cat_. Cat, Bella! Kindergartner's know the French word for cat!"

Bella had to work to hold in a laugh before she could answer, "Sorry, Jess. It has been a little difficult for me to keep my focus as well," she smirked at the antsy girl.

"Bella Swan, Ang and I have been here for you, devoted to your friendship, and you can't even tell us what's going on?"

Angela sighed and rested her face on her hand, "Jess, don't be so dramatic. Bella doesn't have to tell us anything about whatever is going on between her and Jasper."

"Don't you turn on me too!" Jessica nearly exploded in exasperation. "Honestly, woman, you're not helping our case."

Angela rolled her eyes and faced Bella, "You don't _have_ to tell us anything. You are allowed to think and feel things without projecting every single thought for everyone to hear."

"Thanks, Angela," Bella smiled gratefully at the dark haired girl and turned to Jessica. "To be honest, Jess, I need time to work through the feelings, you know?"

Jessica brightened immediately with this information, "So you _do_ have feelings for him," she latched on. "Well, that's something, I guess. Which is more than you shared last week when you called him – what did she call him, Ang?"

Angela grinned guiltily at Bella and played along, "I think she used the word delectable, Jess."

"Oh, yes, delectable," Jess continued their banter. "Which really only expresses what you thought of his outside. What kind of man is he on the inside?"

Bella was blushing furiously as she picked at a piece of celery. Silence filled the table as the two girls waited for her to either dish or refuse to answer. "He's a wonderful person."

Angela flashed a genuine smile her way as Jessica rolled her eyes. "He's coming back, so let's put a pin in this."

Jasper took his seat next to Bella and handed her a carton of milk. "What did I miss?"

"We were just talking about our trip to First Beach down at La Push this weekend," Jessica covered smoothly. "I invited Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie. You in?"

Jasper frowned slightly before answering, "Sorry, I'll have to pass. I have plans this weekend."

Bella didn't comment but furrowed her brows at the mild rejection she was once again feeling. Jasper casually dropped one arm from the table and brushed his hand discreetly along Bella's own, offering her reassurance. Fighting a shiver of pleasure at his touch, she grasped his hand with her own to give him a squeeze of thanks before letting go to turn to her lunch.

"That's too bad," Jessica answered. "Maybe next time."

Jasper nodded, "Yeah, maybe, just let me know when."

"So, Bella," Angela opted to changed the subject, "How is your truck doing?"

Bella was grateful for the opening. "Well, Rosalie, Jasper's sister is working on it for me. She works down at Al's."

Jessica raised a brow as she studied Rosalie sitting in the distance with Emmett and Alice, wearing tight jeans, heels, blouse and leather jacket. "She doesn't really seem like the type."

"Rosalie is quite good," Jasper countered. "She's been working on cars for a few years already and is the only person I trust with my truck. Rose does work for the whole family, actually."

"Wow," Jessica breathed. "That's kind of cool."

"Definitely," Bella grinned, knowing Rosalie would see. "She was nice enough to put her other projects aside to work on it after school."

Jessica looked thoughtfully at Bella before grinning deviously, "So you've met Jasper's sister, Bella?"

Bella blushed, hearing the girl's unasked question: _have you met the rest of the family?_

Jasper saved her from further embarrassment at the hands of her friend, "Yes, Rosalie and Emmett went over to her place last night to tow the truck."

Bella finished her sandwich and milk and collected her trash, "Well, if it's okay with you all, I think I'm going to head to my next class a little early to finish up some homework."

"See you, Bella," Angela smiled kindly.

"Later," Jessica answered stiffly, apparently annoyed that her remaining questions would go unanswered.

Jasper stood as well. "I'm going to talk to Emmett and Rose for a bit, but I'll see you after school, Bella."

The girl nodded and with a departing smile, left to throw away her garbage and head to class, as promised. She made it down the hall and took a seat on the floor. Only a few minutes had passed before Jasper rejoined her, sliding down the wall to sit beside her, closely enough that they were brushing shoulders.

"I didn't want them getting suspicious and bothering you later," he explained.

"That was very nice of you," she said as she closed her book. So fluidly, she wasn't sure who had initiated it, the two were holding hands. Closing her eyes, she sighed softly at the comfort she felt engulf her. "Are you absolutely positive you can't influence my emotions?" she asked quietly.

"Why do you ask?" Bella wasn't sure how to answer so he continued, "I can test it again, if you'd like," Jasper offered, amusement in his tone. "How does rage sound?"

"Different enough from what I'm feeling for me to notice. Give me your best shot."

The two sat in silence, as Bella's thumb traced soothing patterns into Jasper's palm. "Are you even trying, Mr. Whitlock?" she asked with a quirk of her lips. She opened her eyes to study his face, to find his brows drawn together in concentration, his normally soft eyes darkening with the exertion. A moment later, his face shifted to it's usual soft expression, a chuckle falling from his lips.

"Yes, Bella, I was definitely trying."

"Hmm," was all she said in response, as she processed her own emotions carefully. The vampire and shifter sat silently, hands still clasped together. "I don't know how to explain what I feel," Bella murmured softly.

"The bell is about to ring, anyways. Another time?" Jasper released her hand to brush a lock of hair from face.

"Sounds good to me," she grinned. _It'll give me time to think._

Jasper waited for the girl to repack her bag and helped her stand just as the bell echoed down the hallway. "I'll see you after school, darlin'."

"See you, cowboy."

Jasper smiled crookedly and walked down the hall, glancing back once before turning the corner. Bella's heart felt strange in her chest. It was beating at a normal pace, but much more strongly than normal. Full to the point of bursting, almost heavy in her chest. She walked slowly into the classroom and took her seat, once again, falling into a deep reflection.

/ * \ / * \ / * \

Heading into Biology, Bella was pleased to note the television at the front of the room, indicating it would be a video day. Apparently, some students were still struggling with the phases of cell division and instead of rehashing the lesson entirely, Mr. Murdoch had found a video and worksheet combination.

"Alright, class, we have a limited number of worksheets due to an issue with the office copier, so we're going to need to share at each table," the teacher explained quickly. "Now, Angela, Bella, I'll have you two share for today seeing as how both of you have missing lab partners," he finished.

Angela smiled at Bella and joined her table quickly. "I'm so jealous of your window seat," she joked quietly as Mr. Murdoch rewound the tape from his last class.

"I think it's cursed," Bella answered solemnly. "All who sit here are doomed to only ever sit alone."

"Where is Edward, anyways?"

 _Uh-oh,_ _I don't know the cover story._

"I'm not too sure, actually. Jasper and I never really talk about it. Edward isn't my biggest fan, to be honest," she explained, hoping it would quell the other girl's curiosity.

Luckily, Angela was much more easy going than Jess and accepted her statement without question. "I don't want to embarrass you, but I saw you two at lunch. I think it's great that you found something in each other – and no, I won't tell Jess."

Bella blushed softly at having been noticed. "I appreciate you not saying anything. We aren't anything officially, but I really enjoy his company."

"He hasn't _ever_ shown an interest in anyone," Angela noted. "He never really interacted with other students and seemed really shy. He has smiled more this week than I've seen in the past two and a half years. Whatever you two have, this is a good thing."

Bella beamed under the girl's approval as the lights went out and the video started to play. The two listened quietly to the lab film, taking turns answering worksheet questions along the way, until finally, it was over, with mere minutes left before class ended.

"Now, I'll have everyone make sure their teams have labeled their papers with names and pass them forward. I'll make copies tonight or tomorrow morning, providing the copier is functional, and get them back to you tomorrow," Mr. Murdoch droned.

The sound of papers rustling and being passed around filled the room before he continued, "Now, all of these questions, along with a few others, _will_ be on your test. The test was initially scheduled for Friday, however, due to circumstances, I'm going to give you the weekend to prepare. Please, take the time I'm giving you to _study_."

The final bell of the day rang throughout the school, followed by the scuffing sound of chairs being pushed back and footsteps pounding through the halls. Bella took her time, knowing Jasper would likely meet her at the door. She wasn't disappointed, when a moment later, he appeared, a broad smile on his face.

"Are you ready for me to escort you home, Miss Swan?"

"That would be lovely, Mr. Whitlock," she answered, slipping easily back into their usual banter.

The two walked slowly towards Jasper's truck, their hands finding each other along the way. He opened the passenger side door for her, and still holding her hand, offered his own as a support while she climbed in. Students were definitely staring, but Bella hardly noticed as she waited for Jasper to join her. Moments later, they were headed towards Bella's home, each consumed by the bubble of togetherness that had formed between them.

Once again, Jasper offered his hand to help Bella down from the truck, and walked her to the front door. "Would you like to come in?" she asked sheepishly, hoping he would.

"I would like that very much," Jasper whispered softly, tracing circles into her palm once more.

Feeling slightly jittery from his touch, Bella almost dropped her keys, but managed to open the door moments later. She led him through, closing the door behind them and offered him a seat on the couch. Dashing up the stairs to stow her backpack and use the bathroom, the girl took a few human moments to splash water on her face, feeling refreshed and a little more collected. Taking care not to trip on the way back down the stairs, _that would be embarrassing,_ the girl joined him on the couch and played with the fringe on one of the throw pillows.

"Do you mind if I check the bruising on your arm, Bella?"

She looked up at him through a thick fringe of lashes and smiled, "Go ahead." She shifted her body so she was facing him, and set the pillow between their knees.

Jasper gently folded the sleeve up her shirt up, exposing the still plum toned flesh and frowned. "You're still bruised, though it's slightly less dark than it was yesterday," he analyzed.

Bella watched his face for signs of his anger and preemptively stroked his hand with the tips of her fingers, waiting for him to meet her gaze. When he didn't, she spoke, "I thought about how to explain what I was feeling earlier – what I feel now."

Dark topaz eyes met her own as his fingers laced through hers, waiting for her to continue. "It's almost as though I'm at ease around you. Not all the time, I mean, you can certainly make me feel excited, or nervous, or bashful, but then there are times like this where-" she cut off and held up their entwined hands. "Everything feels right with the world. Like nothing bad can reach me here."

He rested her arm back against the pillow as he answered, "I know what you mean, Bella."

The girl studied his face to better understand him. "Are you saying you feel the same way about me, then?"

Eyes softening to amber under her gaze he released her hand to trace the outline of her face. "The entire world disappears when I'm with you. So, yes, I would say I feel the same or at least similar."

Bella waited for him this time, letting Jasper close the distance between them. His hand once again cupped her face, encouraging her to tilt her chin slightly upwards. Heart racing, lips nearly touching, Jasper let the anticipation build before pressing his cool, firm lips against her soft, warm ones.

Her body's reaction was instantaneous, limbs filling with electricity, heart flooding with a contented warmth. In the next moment, her arms were lacing around his neck, her fingers curling into his hair as she instinctively sought to be closer. Jasper's own hands slid slowly down her sides, resting firmly at her waist preventing her from pressing too closely. Bella finally broke the kiss, gasping for air. He pulled gently away, giving the girl time to loosen her grip on his hair. Sliding one hand behind her back, he trailed his knuckles along Bella's jaw, and ran his thumb along her lower lip causing the girl to tremble with excitement. "You're incredible," he breathed softly.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you," she whispered back, leaning back in for another kiss. Jasper obliged.

/ * \ / * \ / * \

 _A/N: Sorry I'm a few hours late! Long story short, one of my day jobs is very sporadic – I'm a freelance photo retoucher for a few beauty influencers and every so often, I'll find myself sitting on 5 separate jobs that need to be done ASAP. Juggling that, my ever changing retail shifts, and run of the mill life-crippling depression, my brain can get a little overbooked, causing me to lose steam on whatever chapter I should be working on. I'm at a point where I'm literally cranking out a new chapter each week, which is my goal, but I'd really like to be ahead for once, especially with summer being nearly upon us! Here's to hoping this upcoming week goes more smoothly!_

 _Once again, not beta-ed, so I apologize for any errors/repetitive word usage. I also apologize slightly for Bella constantly thinking about Jasper in this chapter! I told myself I wouldn't do that, but here we are. That being said, I recall my first love being like that, and will absolutely be aiming to strike a balance over the next few chapters._

 _I definitely wasn't all together for this chapter but figured it would be better to share, especially for my usuals. Speaking of, thank you so, so, so much for your continued love and support. My day is instantly brightened every time I get an email to let me know a review was posted, or that I have a new follow or fav! You guys are pretty awesome. Thanks for sticking with me – there's a long and winding road ahead of us, and I can't wait to lead you!_


	10. Chapter 10

Bella's first, second, and third kisses with Jasper had left the girl breathless and light headed. New emotions stirred inside of her, taking root deep in her chest, bursting and blooming like flowers in her veins. The two merely stared at one another, wonder written on their faces. The moment was ruined by the rumble of Charlie's car in the driveway.

Knowing she must look to be in quite a state, Bella broke the tense silence. "I should go to the bathroom to calm down. Can you fend off Charlie for a few minutes?"

Jasper nodded, "I can give him updates on your truck and keep him occupied for a a while. He feels a little suspicious, I assume at seeing my truck, so make it quick, and be sure you brush your hair, too."

Bella touched her head to find tiny snarls near the nape of her neck where Jasper must have tangled his fingers at some point. She giggled and ran up the stairs, closing the bathroom door quietly behind her as she heard the front door open.

She stared into the mirror as the muffled tones of Jasper's voice speaking to her father reached her. It sent butterflies fluttering under her skin to each blossom that had sprouted inside of her, affecting her even from a distance. Bella gripped the edge of the counter to ground herself, trying to stop the smile that was creeping up her face.

 _Breathe, girl. Charlie is downstairs and waiting for you. Time for Operation Normal Bella: flush the toilet to pass time naturally, wash your hands, and splash some cool water on your face. Brush your hair or put it up. All of these ideas are better than just standing here doing nothing._

Following her own advice, Bella set to it, finishing _Operation Normal Bella_ tasks in a matter of minutes, resembling something very close to her usual self. She did one last check and slid her sleeve down, covering the bruises Edward had left and opened the door to face Charlie.

Taking the stairs one at a time, albeit quickly, she greeted her father as naturally as she could, "Hey, dad. Good day at work? Jasper tell you about the truck?"

"Hey, Bells," Charlie studied his daughter for a moment. She must have passed inspection, as a moment later, he continued, "Work wasn't so bad. Jasper was just telling me that Rosalie already has the body work done. She wants to check a few more things under the hood, just to make sure nothing else was impacted in terms of function – which is something I really appreciate."

"Yeah, Rosalie is pretty great," Bella smiled easily.

"You making even more friends?" Charlie asked with clear excitement to his daughter adjusting so well.

"Definitely," Jasper answered. "I know Rose wants to spend some time with you, at some point, actually."

"That would be great!" Bella exclaimed, immediately thrilled with the idea.

Charlie looked thoughtfully at the girl for a moment before suggesting, "Well, Bells, I know it's short notice and that you're busy Saturday, but maybe Friday night, you can have the girls for a sleep over? I wouldn't mind if you wanted to."

Bella was momentarily rendered silent that her father would think of something like that. "Honestly, that would be great, dad, thanks! I'll talk to everyone tomorrow. If the girls need their parents to call, should I give them your cell or your number at the station?"

"Definitely my cell phone, I'll be on patrol tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Anyways, I'm going to walk Jasper out and will fix us up some dinner shortly. You good with leftovers?"

"No rush, honey, and you know I am" Charlie chuckled as he removed his gun and badge. The action didn't seem to hide a sign of threat, but one of feeling comfortable, even with Jasper in the house. "I'm going to put my feet up for a bit and wind down."

Bella gently ushered Jasper to the door, careful not to touch him, knowing full well her body would betray her. "I'll see you later," she murmured, quietly enough that only his vampire hearing would have been able to pick it up.

Jasper paused, one hand on the doorknob to look back at her. "I don't want to be too forward or assume -" he trailed off, unsure how to start his next sentence.

Bella risked her reaction and reached for his hand, immediately engulfed by the waves of happiness building inside of her. "Jasper, I think we are beyond being forward, at this point."

"Fair enough," he agreed as a warm grin spread across his face. "Well, would it be okay if I wait for you outside tonight? I want to take you somewhere you haven't been."

"That sounds awesome!" she whispered excitedly. "So, I'll see you tomorrow morning, then?" she asked in a normal tone for Charlie's benefit.

"Yeah, and I'll mention to Rose tonight about the sleepover, see if she's free."

"Sounds good! See you."

"See you tomorrow, Bella," the blonde vampire left with a parting wink.

/ * \ / * \ / * \

The evening passed quickly, much to Bella's relief. Charlie really had been too tired to question her about her friendship with Jasper, at any rate, and had turned in early. _He needs more sleep,_ Bella thought with a frown. She had never had cause to worry about her father before, but these hours were getting to him.

With a sigh, she flicked off the TV and headed up the stairs herself, ready and waiting for Jasper to make some kind of indication he was outside. Bella didn't have to wait long. Sitting atop her bed, clearing her mind and listening to the sound of Charlie snoring, she heard a light tapping at her window. She bounced up with a grin and opened it slowly.

"Howdy, darlin'," Jasper drawled softly. "I was thought about throwing a small pebble, but with my strength, I might have broken your window, and that didn't seem like such a good idea; what with you living with the chief of police and all."

Bella giggled at his explanation and leaned her elbows against the window ledge, "Good thinking, Major Whitlock."

Jasper ran one hand along her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb, "You ready, Miss Swan?"

Bella's eyelids fluttered closed at his touch as contented ease filled her. "Just about," she whispered back, pressing her face into his palm. "I need to change first," she used one hand to gesture to her clothing as she opened her eyes again.

"I'll wait at the edge of the woods for you," Jasper whispered as he launched himself backwards, off the roof and into the night.

"Show off," she muttered into the growing darkness and went to lock her door. Turning off the lights, Bella removed her clothes and gave her legs one last stretch before taking her sparrow form. Flying smoothly out the window, she spotted Jasper's blonde hair, glowing softly in the somewhat cloudy moonlight. Flapping her wings gently, she landed on the branch above him.

Feeling mischievous, she jumped down, shifting into a mountain lion as she went, tackling the surprised vampire to the ground. With a throaty chuckle, she dashed off into the woods, Jasper hot on her tail. He caught up to her quickly, however, and with a laugh of his own, leaped in front of her, causing the shifter to stop mid-stride to avoid crashing into him. Dirt and leaves flew up around Bella's paws as she skidded to a halt.

"I got to thinking that maybe, if we want to reach the spot I had in mind, we should get going now. It's about 40 miles-" he trailed off, studying her face for a reaction. "Perhaps we can run for a while and if you get tired, you can become something easier to carry and I can run us the rest of the way?"

Bella nodded enthusiastically at his plan and extended one paw to indicate he should lead the way.

Beaming, the vampire flitted through the woods to the north east. The pair dashed almost soundlessly through the trees; save for the soft rustle of wet leaves fluttering back to the ground in their wake. Bella estimated they had run for a good 15 miles before she started feeling her limit nearing. She let out a soft whine and slowed, not wanting to stop entirely, lest she cramp up.

Walking another mile or two, she finally stopped, then considered what she should shift into to make carrying easier. "Want me to carry you the rest of the way, darlin'?" Jasper asked with a gentlemanly drawl.

Bella nuzzled his hand in response, and, having made up her mind, shifted into a fluffy gray fox. Jasper stretched out his arms, allowing her to climb up into them. Bella curled herself securely in his arms and sighed deeply as she tucked her face into the crook of his arm. The scent and aura of Jasper overtook her senses and for some time, she wasn't even aware they had been moving. When she finally turned her face forward, Jasper whispered, "A few more minutes, and we'll be there."

Excited, she kept her focus on the trees ahead of them for some kind of indication where they were headed. Nearing what seemed to be the edge of the forest, Jasper slowed. As he crossed the line of woods to pebbled beach, he set her gently down. "Welcome to Lake Crescent, Miss Swan."

The sight before her was beautiful and left her no doubt as to why he considered it one of his favorite places. The water was as smooth as silk, mirroring the night sky and trees almost perfectly. As she approached the lake, Bella could see the hundreds of smooth pebbles and rocks that lined the bottom through the nearly translucent waters. Mouth gaping, she turned quickly to nudge Jasper in thanks.

Laughing at her enthusiasm, he removed his shirt and jeans and set them on the shore before walking out into the water, obviously preparing for a swim. "Can you become something that lives in water?"

Yipping excitedly, Bella took care to swim into deep enough water before making her shift. Knowing her 9 year old self would have absolutely _died_ to know she would someday be able to _become_ a dolphin, Bella dove deep before swimming quickly up and breaking the surface in a jump. Jasper's wide eyes never left her, and moments later, she swam towards him, nuzzling his side like before.

"I've never seen a dolphin this close before," he breathed softly. "May I touch you, Bella?"

The dolphin laughed and nudged into him once more. Jasper reached out and gently stroked her face, causing the shifter to zone out in contented bliss. Sliding his hand closer to her side, Bella learned that dolphins could be ticklish and let out a laugh, darting away, to Jasper's dismay. Swimming closer once more, she pressed her face against his hand, hoping to convey she wasn't upset.

Comprehension dawned on Jasper, "Ah, you're ticklish?" She nodded her head up and down in confirmation, before swimming fast circles around him. "And now you want to play?" He asked in an amused tone.

Bella squealed once before darting through the water and breaking the surface in a succession of jumps. She was pleased to find that when it came to swimming, dolphins definitely did better than vampires. It wasn't that Jasper was slow or uncoordinated, just not as graceful as herself. _Finally, an area I excel at._

A half hour or so had passed before she started growing tired. The strain of maintaining a steady body temperature in the cold waters, in addition to all the leaping and diving was taking a toll on the shifter. Bella swam to the edge of the shallows, Jasper walking alongside her, and rose to the surface. With one final dolphin laugh, Bella became a mountain lion once more.

Loping slowly along the shore, Bella found a grouping of large rocks and laid on the uppermost one, enjoying the view of the lake below her. Jasper got dressed and sat cross legged next to her, allowing the two to enjoy a companionable silence. Finding the space between them to be too large, Bella wriggled her body until she was pressed against his side and tucked under his arm. "I take it you like it here," Jasper asked with a grin.

Bella snorted in reply. _The location, among other things._ Jasper seemed to sense her answer and stroked her face gently, "It's one of my favorite spots; the others have never come out here. I really wanted to share it with you, though." Bella purred in response, feeling grateful to have been let in on something special to Jasper.

"Anyways, it's getting late, and I imagine you're pretty tired?"

Bella nodded sadly, a whine escaping her involuntarily.

"It's alright, you don't need to feel bad, darlin'," Jasper answered kindly. "We have tomorrow night, too. As many nights as you can and want."

The shifter stood and stretched, rubbing her face along his and became a fox once more so Jasper could take her home.

/ * \ / * \ / * \

Bella woke to the sound of her alarm and fumbled stiffly in the dark to turn it off. Groaning, she flexed her arms, aching in places she didn't know existed. _Last night was rough, not to mention one more night and I'm done for a few weeks. Ebbing power, strength, and senses,_ the girl realized.

Sitting slowly, she let her body acclimate to being awake before making her way to her dresser. Picking out some clothes she hoped matched, Bella went to the bathroom to relieve herself and shower for the day. The water soothed her muscles slightly, but aside from making her clean, it did little to make her feel _better_. Realizing she needed food, Bella slowly ambled down the stairs, just as the doorbell rang.

Opening the door to reveal Jasper, Bella beamed and stepped aside for him. "Why hello there, Major Whitlock," she greeted him easily. "If you'll follow me this way, I'm about to make myself some breakfast."

"I would love to accompany you to the kitchen, Miss Swan," he answered with a grin of his own as Bella closed the door. "Right after I kiss you good morning, that is."

Bella blushed to the roots of her hair as Jasper leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips. Instantly, she wanted to deepen the kiss, to step closer, to let the energy flowing between their bodies to dance inside her veins. Instead, she stepped away to catch her breath, and walked shakily to the kitchen.

Reached into the fridge, she grabbed two eggs just as Jasper found a frying pan and held one hand out for the eggs. Raising a brow, Bella passed them to him and opened the bread drawer to get her toast ready. "I didn't know you could cook," she added as the sound of eggs cracking, followed by sizzling filled her ears.

"I vaguely remember that I knew some cooking basics back when I was a human," Jasper explained. "I've since learned a few tricks, though I've never really had a reason to cook. It's amazing, the things you'll read when you've exhausted all of your own books."

"Who in your house owns cookbooks?" Bella asked with a small laugh.

"The cookbooks belong to Esme. She and Carlisle have spent a lot of time cultivating their human facade, including learning how to cook so that they can bring food to company picnics or luncheons," Jasper explained with a grin as he searched the canister of utensils on the counter for a spatula. He let the eggs cook a few more moments before flipping and continuing. "She makes amazing lasagna, apparently."

"So, that whole thing with garlic is bogus, then?" Bella asked as she filled a glass with some orange juice.

Jasper laughed heartily at her question, "Absolutely. Garlic, crucifixes, and holy water were things that helped humans of the 1500's feel a little less afraid. No one likes to feel helpless."

"Fair enough," Bella allowed, taking a sip of her juice. "So are you impervious or what?"

Jasper finished cooking her eggs and buttered her toast before plating it all and finding her a fork. "Essentially, yes. There isn't much, aside from other vampires, that could cause us to fear for our safety." He set her plate on the table and sat across from her, lapsing into silence to give her time to eat.

Bella set her glass down at the table and started in on her breakfast with gusto. "This is so good! I woke up super hungry after last night. The tail end of my shift week tends to be a little more draining than the beginning. Less cosmic energy or something," she explained before scooping up some egg on her toast.

"That's fascinating, actually. Do you know much about shifter lore or just what you've learned from your mom?"

Bella swallowed another sip of juice before answering, "Only what I've learned from my mom. From what I understand, it's nothing like werewolf lore or anything, like I said the other night. I think it must be genetic or something, but she never really got a chance to tell me more than the fact that ever since my great-great-grandma, we've been shifters."

"That must be frustrating for you" Jasper answered softly.

"It is what it is. I either find more information or I don't, but I've come to a place mentally and emotionally where I understand that I can only deal with what comes, you know?"

"Once again, that's very wise, Miss Swan," he remarked with a kind smile. "You constantly amaze me."

Bella grinned into her orange juice glass, happy to be the source of amazement for such a divine creature. "You're pretty good at amazing me, yourself, Major Whitlock."

Jasper cleared Bella's plate as she finished her drink and checked the fridge for her bagged lunch. "This all you need?"

"I think so. I packed it, and my backpack last night. I think I'm just about ready."

"Great! We'll be a little early and can visit with Emmett and Rose if you'd like."

"That sounds good. I'll quick go brush my teeth, then we can go."

/ * \ / * \ / * \

As promised, Emmett and Rosalie were seated in the common area outside the school, clearly waiting for the two of them to arrive. Grinning, Bella jumped out of Jasper's truck and the two walked side by side towards the other couple. Emmett looked about ready to burst out of his seat when Bella was finally within hearing range, "It's been too long, Hellcat!"

Mortified, Bella groaned as the sound of Emmett's booming voice was picked up on by enough of her classmates to ensure the incident would be relayed to everyone by lunch. "Missed you too, Butthead. Tonight is my last night until next month, though, so you'll have to be patient for the next play-time."

"That's fine – but in the meantime, have you ever heard of a little game called _Call of Duty_ ," the excitable vampire asked with a conspiratorial grin. "I've never played against a human-ish person."

"Human-ish, huh? You're on, big guy."

Rosalie rolled her eyes at the two of them, "Not so fast, Bella. You and I have plans to talk about first. Jasper mentioned you are having a sleep over tomorrow?"

Bella grinned, "Yeah, my dad said it would be okay if you, Angela, and Jessica came over. Would you be interested?"

Jasper and Emmett started a friendly argument about video games that quickly became mild rough housing a few feet away, much to Bella and Rosalie's amusement.

"Boys," Rosalie commented with a roll of her eyes. "It actually sounds fun. I've never really done it before, at least that I can remember. But I've seen lots of movies!" Rosalie exclaimed, excitement dancing in her eyes. "Talking about boys, painting nails, trying face masks, staying up too late and eating junk food – well, pretending to stay up too late and eat junk food. I'm _so_ in."

"Good! I'll let the other girls know at lunch and hopefully I'll know by tomorrow afternoon if they can make it."

Jasper and Emmett ceased their scuffle and the two were watching the exchange with smiles on their faces. "Well, I better escort Bella to class," Jasper interjected. "The bell is going to ring in about five minutes."

"I'll talk to you later, Rosalie! If you guys want, you can sit with us at lunch, but I understand if you don't want to leave Alice on her own if she doesn't want to," Bella offered with a wave as she and Jasper headed through the doors.

When the pair made it to her locker, Bella finally asked, "So, what was with all the smiles between you and Emmett?"

"You caught that?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "Of course I did. I might be human, but I have eyes," she chided with a grin.

"Well, Emmett really likes you and is glad that you're becoming an actual friend for Rose. She doesn't have many, even when it comes to our own kind."

"Why is that?"

"Well," Jasper trailed off and thought for a moment. "She can be very standoffish. It's a long story, but her human life didn't make her very receptive to others. Rosalie doesn't trust often and once that trust is broken, it is unlikely to be repaired."

Bella's brows furrowed as she stored that information for later. "Well, I will do my best not to do something that would cause her to lose trust in me, however tentative it may be."

"I know you won't, darlin'," Jasper smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek. "She already likes you, I can tell. She's happy that you make me happy," he offered as the pair stopped at her homeroom.

"I'm glad I make you happy," Bella giggled as she gave him a parting squeeze of her hand. "I'll see you at lunch, Cowboy."

/ * \ / * \ / * \

 _A/N: I AM SO SORRY IT HAS TAKEN FOREVER TO UPDATE. I KNOW, I'M A HORRIBLE, AWFUL GIRL._

 _As I mentioned in the last A/N, my freelance cosmetic retouching can be hit or miss with clients, but one of them made through the past few rounds of cuts for the Nyx Face Awards, and as the challenges increase, my workload is increasing! Between my day-job giving me more hours, more editing, and the omnipresent need for sleep, my time for writing has decreased._

 _I do, however, **PROMISE** , I have no intentions of abandoning this story! It always tickles me to read your reviews and every like and follow encourages and reminds me to take the time to write! Thank you so much for supporting my work, friends!_


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